Konoha's Defenders
by TheKaiSenpai
Summary: The Muto Clan. The distant relatives of the Hyuuga. Though the losses are great, heroes will rise from the ashes. This is completely my own storyline, basing it off of the original Naruto animated series. OCxIno, NarutoxHinata
1. Prologue

KaiSenpai does not own Naruto, and if he did, a hell of a lot of shit would have been avoided, dattebayo!

**Prologue**

X00000X

"Grab our son and GO!" clan head Muto Haru shouted at his wife. Their home, a traditional building made much like those made in the Hyuuga district, crackled from the blazing inferno. Chunks of wood fell beside the black haired man. Quickly, he handed the young boy in his arms to his crying wife.

"Please, come with me!" she shouted, "You don't have to do this! Yondaime-"

"I will not abandon our village," her husband replied calmly, giving her a warm smile. "I will not survive this. Please, let our son know that I loved him." With that, the head of the Muto Clan shunshined away. Knowing that nothing remained for her there, Muto Yuki fled from the collapsing Muto compound. Above her, the visage of the massive Kyuubi took up the entire skyline, trampling across the center of Konohagakure. Flashes of light littered the rooftops surrounding the great beast as the Sandime led a battalion against the giant threat. Of course, he only meant to stall for time until the Fourth Hokage returned.

**"****WHERE IS SHE!?" **the Kyuubi no Yoko bellowed. **"I'LL KILL THE LITTLE JAILOR BITCH!"** Yuki did her best to flee towards the village walls, away from the battle. Her month old son had started crying in her arms at the loud noises. She tried her best to put on a caring face as she ran, gently shaking the baby in her arms.

"Don't cry, Takeshi-chan… Mommy is here to protect you…" she whispered into the young boy's ear. The crying persisted.

**BOOM! CRACK!**

Yuki glanced behind her as the Kyuubi's tail lifted up from the now former Muto Clan compound. She felt tears stream from her eyes, knowing that the place she'd called home was gone. She didn't know if anyone else had made it out. Takeshi's cries grew louder. "Shhh, no no… Don't cry my little Takeshi-chan… Everything will be alright…" Yuki returned her gaze to the way she was running, doing her best to avoid the crumbling buildings and raging fires around her. The terrified screams of the people around her echoed throughout the city, sending shivers down her spine.

_I have to get Tekashi-chan away from here,_ the woman thought to herself, steeling her resolve. _We have to live. Our clan has to live on. My son…_ She looked down at the now sleeping child. He was such a heavy sleeper, just like his father. _I can't let him die…_ Her strength renewed, Yuki made it to the city walls in minutes. Even still, she could hear the carnage happening in the center of the village. The Kyuubi trampled the surrounding buildings, then something caught its attention. Yuki watched from afar with other frightened families as the mighty nine-tailed demon glared at the Hokage Monument.

**"****YOU!" **it snarled, **"I'LL CRUSH YOU, YOU LITTLE PIECE OF FILTH!"** The great Kyuubi no Yoko opened its maw, collecting dark chakra energy into the shape of a large sphere. It shrunk, being eaten by the beast before its mouth opened again. Fear ran through the crowd of people as the massive killing intent swept over them like a heatwave.

**BOOM!**

With the sound of a massive explosion, condensed chakra shot out from the nine tailed fox's mouth and flew directly to the stone face of Yondaime. As soon as it reached the stone, however, it disappeared. The beast's eyes widened. A blast could be heard many miles away.

**"****IMPOSSIBLE!"** As soon as the words were spoken, a massive war cry could be heard from the center of the village. Not only that, but falling from the sky above the Kyuubi was a relatively small object. Pure chakra seemed to form a barrier below it as it fell.

"Haru-kun…" Yuki whispered, "Please… Come back to us…" The falling shinobi struck squarely onto the bijuu's back with enough force to overpower the limbs holding it up. Another cry rang out as the entire middle of the village became with elemental chakra, mostly of a fire affinity. Tears of hope sprung from Yuki's eyes. Perhaps her husband would be alright. Perhaps they could still be a family. She could see the flashes of his chakra on top of the massive beast as he struck his opponent. "Please, save us…"

**"****I WON'T BE MADE A FOOL OF!"** the beast roared. The evil chakra seeping from the beast now flooded the entire village, forcing many people to their knees. They were simply overpowered. **"I'LL KILL EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU PUNY MORTALS WITH MY INFINITE POWER!"** With a mighty feat of strength, the Kyuubi rose to his feet once again, reaching behind him and grabbing the ninja on his back. **"AND I'LL START WITH YOU, YOU ANNOYING LITTLE PEST!"** The only sound that filled Yuki's ears was the sound of screaming as her husband, one of the most prestigious men in Konohagakure, was crushed by the bare hands of the Kyuubi no Yoko.

"Ha… Haru-kun…" her voice failed her at first. "HARU-KUUUN!"

X00000X

The four year old Muto Takeshi smiled brightly as his mother watched him play at the local playground. He'd made a lot of friends that year, especially with the girl from the Yamanaka clan. Of course, she'd made fun of his snowy white hair and deep, purple eyes, but her dad had fixed that really fast. When he asked his mom about it later that day, she said that they were, along with his fair skin, 'clan identifiers'. She told the boy that his white hair and especially dark purple eyes made him stand out as being part of the Muto clan. However, when he asked why she was the only other person that had them, she told him it was for when he was older.

Their home was right across from the Hyuuga compound, a place where Takeshi wasn't allowed to go without his mom. According to her, they were distant relatives, which was why they were near each other. While the Hyuuga got the more mental side of the bloodline, the Muto got the physical side. She didn't elaborate, saying he'd learn sooner or later.

Takeshi was content leaving it at that. He was more concerned with beating that Yamanaka girl at finding the best looking flower. It had been her suggestion to look for flowers, but he definitely decided to find the best one. Especially if it was to get revenge on the pink haired girl for calling him an old man because of his white hair. Within ten minutes, they were huddled together under the tree by the sandbox.

"Look what I found!" Ino smirked, pridefully holding out an early sunset colored flower. It looked like a crown with a small, turnip shaped bulge in the middle. "It's a protea, and it's sure to beat the rest of your guys'!"

"Oh yeah? Well how about this?" Sakura thrust out the flower she'd found. It looked like a regular flower that one could find on a kid's drawing, with a yellow center and white, oblong petals.

"That's just a daisy," Ino puffed her chest out, "That's nothing. It's so common that not even the flower shop sells them." She gave Sakura a teasing leer. "Just like you."

"Oh yeah, Ino-pig!?" Sakura raged.

"Yeah, forehead-girl!" Ino shot back.

"Uh… Um…" all attention from the two girls rested on the meek boy with them. He nervously pushed forward his find. It was almost like a tulip, but had six large petals that overlapped one another. It was a bright pink, and the middle merged into a clear white. "I… I found this one and I think it's really pretty…" Ino quickly stole it from the boy, gazing at it with wonder. "Hey! Give it back blondie!"

"This is a gladiolus," the young girl muttered, "How… Where did you find this, Shi-kun?" The boy quickly took the flower back, pouting. The girl offered no resistance.

"It was all alone over there by the slide," the boy pointed to where he'd seen it. There was a silence. "Does this mean I win?"

"I don't see anything special about it," Sakura turned away, crossing her arms, "It's just a flower, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal?" Ino glared at her friend, "The big deal is that gladioluses aren't FOUND here! This is impossible!" That caught the pink haired girl's attention. "This flower is probably the only one in Konoha…"

"Wow…" Takeshi marveled. He stared at the flower for a moment before holding it out in front of him. "Here."

"Shi-kun?" Ino questioned. Both girls gave him a curious look. "What is it?"

"Take it," he replied, pushing it into Ino's hands. "You know how to take care of it better than me."

"B-B-B-But Shi-kun…" Ino stuttered, her cheeks growing red, "You found it… so you keep it."

"Just take it, Ino-chan!" the boy forced his friend to take the flower. "Sheesh… Don't make things so difficult…"

"Ino-chan!" the girl's father yelled, "It's time to go home!" The blond Yamanaka smiled and kissed Takeshi's cheek.

"Coming, daddy!" She quickly took off towards her father, taking his hand. The father and daughter walked away into the evening village.

"Sakura-chan!" a woman's voice called. A tall, blonde woman stood at the playground's entrance.

"I have to go home, sorry Takeshi-kun!" the girl smiled cutely, her eyes even closing to complete the picture. "I'll see you later!" She ran back to her mother, smiling as they left. Takeshi looked around the playground. His mother was currently talking to a lady with dark blue hair and white eyes. He quickly recognized the woman as his neighbor, one of Hinata's maids. He found the said girl sitting at the sandbox, building a small mound. He walked over to her and smiled.

"Hi!" he greeted. The girl shyly turned to him.

"H-Hi…" she managed to stutter in reply. There was an uneasy silence.

"Do you wanna play ninja?" It took a second for Hinata to think of an answer. She slowly nodded, standing and brushing off the sand from her outfit. Takeshi wandered over to the tree and broke off two low hanging branches and gave one to the girl.

"W-What is t-this…?" she asked, looking at the stick as if it was a strange new food. "Why d-did you give me a-a stick…?"

"It's a sword!" Takeshi replied excitedly, "Don't ninjas use swords?" Hinata shook her head.

"Ninja use j-jutsu and other n-ninja t-tools," she replied, still looking at the stick. Takeshi rubbed the back of his head, giving off a nervous grin.

"Well… I don't know any jutsu… So… sticks it is!" He smiled and held the stick in front of him with two hands, feet at shoulder length. Hinata looked at the stick in her hand and dropped it. Instead, she took up her Juuken stance. "Oh, you've been practicing? Great! Me too!" Takeshi quickly ran towards the girl.

"_Byakugan!_" the veins around Hinata's young eyes became more prominent. Takeshi swung down, aiming for Hinata's left shoulder. The girl quickly spun out of the way, avoiding the obvious attack. Since her father had been training her, the movements came naturally. He'd been teaching her techniques to take down enemies quickly. Unfortunately, those lessons were about to pay the price. Hinata was brilliant, even coming close to beating Neji. In a flash of muscle memory, her body twisted around and her hand aimed for the first vulnerable part of Takeshi's body. His face. Thrusting a bit of chakra into her strike, Hinata's hand hit its mark of Takeshi's right eye before his downswing was even finished.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" the boy fell to his knees, crying out in pain. His hands dropped the makeshift weapons and went to cover the wounded, soft organ. "M-M-My eye! It hurts!" Tears fell from the boy's face as both mother and maid ran over to the scene. Yuki knelt by her son, coddling his head as she tried to calm him down enough that the maid could check his eye. Hinata, frightened by the sudden scream of pain, began to realize what she'd done.

"T-T-Takeshi-san!" she began to cry as well, "I'm s-sorry! I didn't m-m-mean t-to!" One mother that had witnessed the event ran off to find a medic nin. After about a half hour, she returned. The boy had since stopped crying, but kept his right eye closed.

"I-It hurts, mom…" came the sniffling voice of Takeshi, "Why does i-it hurt so m-much…?"

"Hinata-chan just got carried away is all," Yuki replied, still holding her precious boy's head to her chest. "It'll be ok… We're going to take you to the hospital and see what happened, ok?" He simply nodded. Picking him up in her arms, Yuki turned to Hinata's maid.

"I'm deeply sorry, Muto-sama," the young girl pleaded, "Please, allow us to compensate by-"

"There's no need, dear," Yuki gave the girl a soft, understanding smile, "It was just two children who got a bit… excited is all. Let's see what needs to be done, and then we'll talk some more, alright?" Though the words were sweet, even Muto Yuki couldn't hide all of the bitterness she was feeling. Yes, her son had initiated the little play fight according to the other parents, but to teach a young girl how to kill or maim was incredibly irresponsible of Hiashi. With those words, the mother and child followed the medical nin to the hospital.

X00000X

"What do you mean his eye is gone permanently!?" Yuki screamed at the doctor. Her son was resting in the room behind her when she'd cornered the doctor in the hallway. It was probably around two hours since they'd admitted her son, around ten at night. "Can't you do anything!?" The man in the white coat raised his hands defensively.

"I'm sorry, Muto-sama, but the tenketsu point in his right eye is permanently blocked," was his hurried reply, "Unless he gets a new eye that the body won't reject, he won't ever be able to use it again." Yuki's eye twitched in seething anger, before she took a deep breath to collect her bearings.

"Fuck," she growled, "How the fuck am I going to explain to my son that he won't be able to see out of his right eye anymore?" The doctor merely shrugged.

"Easy, you won't," someone spoke from down the hall to the woman's right. Walking towards them was Hiashi Hyuuga, along with Hinata in tow with a jar in her hands. "It's come to my attention that your son was the victim of... an unfortunate accident, Muto-san." The woman merely glared at the intruder.

"No thanks to your insistent and may I add DEADLY training," she growled. Hiashi took a moment to think through his answer.

"It is no business of mine that you neglect training the boy," he finally replied. "It's no surprise that such a weak child stood no chance against a Hyuuga."

"I will whoop your ass from here to Suna, bitch!" Yuki yelled at the man, completely catching him off guard. Her eyes changed from a cool purple to a blazing yellow. "How the fuck do you expect me to forgive you for setting up not only my child, but other children to become mortally wounded!?" The woman, who stood just a half head shorted to the Hyuuga Clan head, was absolutely pissed. Her waist length white hair waved gently as if being blown by a summer breeze.

"I, personally, extend both you and your son an offer," Hiashi replied once he regained his composure. Though to anyone it was obvious that the woman was on his last nerve. "Hinata." The girl stepped forward and gave the jar of fluid to her father. "These are the eyes of a… recently deceased clan member of the Hyuuga. While normally this would not even be part of the questions, our clans' long history together as well as our… fault in the accident has led the council to come to an agreement. We offer the boy a replacement in exchange that he-"

"Don't you fucking say he'll be part of the branch family, Hiashi!" Yuki interjected. The man blinked momentarily.

"Of course not," was the cool reply, "I was about to suggest that the boy sign a contract agreement to marry the heiress at the appropriate age." The silence was so thick that it would take a reinforced kunai to slice it. Yuki looked between the man and his daughter, trying to find a way out of such an agreement and still give her son his eye back. None came to her. Sensing a win, Hiashi took a scroll from his pocket. A marriage agreement. "It's hardly a loss to you at all." That earned him a glare.

"Screw you," Yuki replied, taking the ink and quill from the young Hyuuga's hands and signing the contract. What didn't manage to slip her view was a certain clause. She hid the smile. Just for now. Hiashi turned to the doctor, who had been too stunned to move, and handed him the jar with the Hyuuga eyes.

"Implant one of these into the boy," Hiashi did his best to hide his pleasure at finally outwitting the Muto clan. "I'd rather my future son-in-law not have only one functioning eye."

X00000X

Muto Takeshi sat quietly at the back of class beside Ino Yamanaka. The girl had long since traded her purple zip-up vest and skirt for a long sleeve sweater and a longer, cream colored skirt. Though she hadn't made the change without a fight, it was only after Takeshi's prolonged insistence that she'd done it. Their class was made up of twenty seven students. Well, at the moment, twenty six. The eight year old Muto partially dreaded and partially looked forward to the missing academy student's antics for the day. Though his mother insisted that the young Uzumaki would likely result in trouble, she made no move to prevent their interaction.

"Do you think Mr. dead last will actually show up before Iruka-sensei will this time?" Ino asked her friend. Takeshi shrugged, pulling a ten ryu bill from his pocket and laying it on the desk in front of him.

"The usual wager? I bet he won't." he smirked.

"Oh heck no," Ino shook her head furiously, "Like, you know exactly where he is, I see your byakugan active!" Takeshi merely chuckled, putting away the money. "Sheesh, you still owe me seven hundred ryo…"

"I won those bets fair and square!" the boy argued. Of course it didn't have a point. It was just fun to argue with his friend.

"Did not! That eye has just, like, caused me more trouble!" Ino pouted, glaring at the blank eye. She then looked at the deep purple left eye. "Sheesh… No matter how much I see it, I just can't get used to it…" The door opened, drawing the students' attention.

"Alright, class, welcome to your second year at Ninja Academy," Iruka smiled at his waiting students. It only took him a few seconds to notice the absence. Only a few students as well as teachers had figured it out. If Naruto was late, something BIG and TROUBLESOME was about to happen. "Oh no…"

"YATTAH!" in a flash of orange and yellow, said trouble burst in through the door with a bucket of paint in one hand and a bucket of feathers in the other. "Check it ya chickens! Naruto's back and better than ever, 'ttebayo!"

"Dang it, Naru- oomph!" Iruka tried to yell, but it was too late. With a mighty heave, the paint, colored a vibrant orange, was sloshed everywhere in the room. Before anyone could react, the feathers followed suit.

"See ya later suckers!" Without any hesitation, the little bane of Konohagakure fled the classroom. Takeshi met eyes with Ino and began counting down. Today's prank wasn't really that original, so it must have been an off day for the orange suited boy.

"Three. Two-" Takeshi started.

"-One," Ino finished. One could literally see the anger protruding from Iruka.

"NAAAARUUUUTOOOOOO!" Iruka screamed, chasing after the little troublemaker. The students stared at the door.

"Is he gone?" a voice called from the back of class. Heads turned. The cheeky grin of Uzumaki Naruto met them. "Hey guys! Great to be back!"

"You know, you gotta find another fallback aside from the paint and feathering," Takeshi stated indifferently. His face and outfit had a few splotches of paint, but not much. It was good, because Takeshi really liked the clan outfit. It was a dark purple shirt with the family crest on the back and simple khaki shorts. The same amount of paint could be found on Ino and the rest of the back row.

"Yeah… I was kinda busy planning tomorrow's that I missed today's entirely," Naruto responded, "You'll like tomorrow's Takeshi-san."

"NAAARUUUTOOOO…" Massive killer intent could be felt from the pink haired girl in the middle row. She stood hunched over, her rage growing by the second.

"E-Eh? S-Sakura-chan… Hey, you know, orange really suits you!" Naruto tried desperately to avoid the incoming doom, but alas, it was no use. In a split second, Sakura had leap over the desks and drilled her right fist into the boy's face.

"Ouch," Takeshi winced as the blow hit. "Is it me, or is his face starting to take the shape of her fist?"

"Maybe, there's so much baby fat that it's kinda, like hard to tell," Ino shrugged as she replied. Sakura stormed back to her seat beside Sasuke, leaving a broken Naruto at the back of the class. Takeshi turned to Ino.

"Hey, wanna come over today? My mom's making barbeque for the first day again," the white haired boy asked his friend. After a moment's though, Ino nodded.

"Sure! Maybe your mom can, like, give me some more fashion tips?" Ino giggled a little bit. "I know you want me to be a bit more modest, but seriously. Like, you're dragging me down with these clothes." Takeshi grumbled.

"Yeah… Just come with me after school, ok?"

"Got it!"

X00000X

A/N:

Oh hell, that was exhausting. So yeah, my new story is Naruto based. I was really debating on who Takeshi's partner character would be. I thought Fu or Tayuya at first, but I really wanted him to be in Konoha and get to know the other main characters. So I decided that since he would stay there, he'd have to have friends. But who might those friends be? My first thought was Team Gai since that would be fucking awesome. But then I remembered that Tenten would probably have a crush on Neji, therefore not really interested in Takeshi. Not only that, but I had no idea how to do the other students. Sakura would like Sasuke and Hinata would like Naruto, so that only left Ino.

I'm really proud of how I depicted Hinata here. You can see that she was not always the puny girl she's depicted to be. In fact, she's quite capable. We never really get a decent reason for her shyness that I've seen, so I gave her one. Her training, her fighting, HURTS her friends. Thus, the nervous, wimpy Hinata was created.

Also, I'm happy with how Yuki's character developed. At first I was going to kill her off, but I couldn't figure out how. I also found out that having a mother really helped out what I wanted with Takeshi. This woman's got spirit! I gotta say, my favorite lines and scene from this chapter is when she's dissing Hiashi. Yuki is going to be a lot of fun to work with.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! See you later!


	2. Chapter 1: The Plans of Mice and Men

KaiSenpai does not own Naruto, for the tides of fate do not wish him to.

The Plans of Mice and Men

X00000X

The eleven year old Ino eagerly ate from the hot pot in front of her. While Yuki sat across the table, Takeshi was happily enjoying his meal beside the blonde girl. She looked up at the happy mother and son, then at their house. Though Yuki said that their clan compound was destroyed years before, the mansion they lived in now was beautiful. It was decorated with various relics and fancy furniture. It was a lot nicer than Ino's home, to say the least.

"So will your other friends be coming?" Yuki asked her son. Takeshi eagerly nodded, stuffing a slice of pork into his mouth. "Who's coming over?"

"Well, I invited Sakura-chan and Shikamaru-kun. I think that Kiba-kun is coming with his friends, too." Takeshi gave his mom a wide grin. Yuki, on the other hand, looked a bit worried. "Mom?"

"You… don't happen to know if Choji-kun was invited, do you?" she asked nervously. From previous experience, the three knew that the Akimichi boy would eat the Muto out of house and home. While Yuki and her son had a large inheritance, the fact that neither of them had any income from being unable to take up missions meant that they were on a limited budget until Takeshi became a ninja. That being said, the young Akimichi promised that whenever he'd come over, he'd bring along extra food to try and help the family.

"Well… He IS one of my dad's friend's sons…" Ino spoke up to answer the woman's question, "I couldn't really NOT invite him…" She gave the two a guilty smile. While Takeshi was completely fine with this proposition, Yuki seemed a bit less certain. "Hey, like, Choji-kun is a really nice guy! I'm sure he'll, like, stick to his promise!" Still, Yuki seemed uneasy.

"Takeshi-kun, did you also invite Naruto?" Yuki asked. Her distaste for the Uzumaki boy was evident. "I'm afraid I may not be able to feed a house full of growing boys…" Though her voice was a tad bitter, her eyes begot a small amount of humor. It had become common knowledge among Takeshi's classmates that the Muto mansion was always open to friends.

"Yeah, I think he said he'll be bringing his own food, too," Takeshi nodded in confirmation, "Actually, I think everyone offered to bring food. Did they, Ino-chan?"

"Yeah. It was, like, really nice of them to offer," the blonde smiled. Yuki seemed to relax at the proposition. Her mind raced to the clause on Hiashi's marriage agreement. It had been popping into her mind more and more as the date drew closer.

_I only have five years left…_ she reminded herself, staring at her young boy's soft face. It was beginning to become more angular, like hers. Though he had his father's angled nose instead of her rounded one. _I have to get these two together somehow…_

"Yuki-sama?" Ino's voice popped into Yuki's thoughts. Her attentuion turned to the blonde girl. "Do you think you could help me pick out some new clothes? These ones are getting too small for Shi-kun's taste and, like, I don't want to hear him complaining to me."

"I'm not THAT bad!" Takeshi, glared at his friend from his meal. Is eyes returned to his plate solemnly. "I just don't want you getting the wrong attention is all…" Before Ino could respond, there was a knock on the door. Takeshi's eyes brightened and he ran to answer it. Yuki eyed the girl in front of her as they waited, catching Ino's gaze.

"W-What?" flustered, Ino began to stutter, "Is there l-like something in my teeth?" Yuki chuckled to herself and shook her head.

"No, it isn't that," she affirmed, "I was just thinking about how much time you seem to spend around my son." _This might get her to think about her feelings. I sure hope this works, though…_ "In fact, I haven't seen you away from him very often, especially since… You know…" Her voice trailed off. Ever since Takeshi had lost his original eye, Ino started becoming more protective of the boy. Hardly a day passed when she wasn't at his side, glaring at those who would stare at the boy's unnatural heterochromia.

"W-W-What? N-No, that can't be true!" Ino tried to deny, "He's like my little brother, I don't want him like getting bullied!" Yuki gave Ino a knowing smile and left it at that. Moments later, the table became filled with Takeshi and Ino's friends.

"Man, your mom makes the best barbeque!" Choji ravenously ate some of the pork and beef while throwing his own food into the hot pot. Sakura had done the same with some of the vegetables she brought. "Yuck! Why would you bring that green stuff to a barbeque?"

"Well for your information it's healthier for you!" Sakura stood up suddenly, pointing an annoyed finger at the unsuspecting boy. "Everyone needs vegetables, isn't that right, Sasuke-kun?" Said Uchiha didn't say a word, merely holding onto his plate and calmly eating. Ever since his brother had betrayed his clan and village, he'd become more soft spoken and easier to irritate. "Sasuke-kun?"

"Don't bring me into your stupid fights, Sakura," the raven haired boy replied coldly. Yuki frowned a bit. She had been hoping that Sasuke might open up a bit at the increasingly common meals at the Muto house.

"Hey, has anyone seen the dobe?" Kiba spoke up. Akamaru was sitting comfortably on his head, eating the little bit of food that his tamer fed to him. "I thought he'd be one of the first one's here. He'd never pass up a good meal." At that exact moment, a pin could have dropped. Naruto was late. The company at the table glanced to each other nervously.

"It seems that our good natured friend has a scheme planned," Shino spoke his first words of the day, "In an unfortunate turn of events, this will probably mean that we are his targets of choice." Silence reigned at the table, everyone eating only nervously, dreading the point of the inevitable knocking on the door to announce Naruto's arrival.

_Knock_

_Knock_

_Knock_

Shivers ran down the spines of each and every person in the room. Finally, Yuki gained the courage to stand and walk swiftly, but stiffly, towards the door in the other room. Taking a deep breath, she opened it. "Hello, Naruto-kun…" she greeted, her eyes shut tight in fearful anticipation of the boy's joke.

"Hello there, Muto-sama," a far different voice reached her ears than Naruto's brash yelling. Instead, it was melodic and feminine. Confused, Yuki opened her eyes to face the visitor. Only to pass out from sheer shock. Standing at the door was a very busty girl with twin pigtailed blonde hair and clear blue eyes. Very much naked. With a puff of smoke, the girl disappeared, replaced by the cheeky grin of Naruto Uzumaki. "Wow! I guess my Sexy Jutsu even works on women, 'ttebayo!"

"Naruto-baka!" both and angry Ino and enraged Sakura stormed towards him. "You shouldn't, like, do that to people! Especially people who invited you to dinner!" Throwing their punches at the same time, Naruto's face broke in a little bit and he crumpled to the ground. "Jeez… You need to like learn how to treat your elders with respect…" Grabbing the near unconscious boy's collar, Sakura dragged Naruto in on the ground while Shikamaru, Takeshi, and Choji all tried to help get Yuki to the table.

"Sheesh, you really caught mom off guard," Takeshi laughed a little bit, but it was apparent that he was at least a little bit angry at Naruto. "Maybe I shouldn't invite you next time…"

"I still don't understand why you invited dead last in the first place," Shikamaru gently rested Yuki in a sitting position against the wall, behind where she'd been sitting previously. "He's nothing but trouble and it's such a drag to have him around."

"That dobe doesn't belong here," Sasuke agreed. Sakura nodded eagerly in agreement.

"Sasuke-kun is right, why would you even think of inviting such an idiot?" without any shame, Sakura tried to hug the Uchiha, much to his displeasure. "Sasuke-kuu~n… Please go out with me~e." Ino gave her friend a disproving look and leaned over to Takeshi, whispering into his ear.

"Ugh, I'd hate to think what would happen if, like, I was like that," she mumbled, earning his nod of agreement, "She's such a kid."

"Says the girl who gets giddy whenever a guy takes his shirt off around her," Takeshi smirked. Ino blushed, standing up quickly. A few of the boys were laughing at what Takeshi had revealed.

"Wow, I didn't know Ino-chan was such a pervert!" Kiba joked. Not a second later, Ino's fist was grinding on the top of his head. "Ow! Ow! Ow! That HURTS!"

"That's what you get for calling me a pervert you smelly mutt!" Ino growled, her eye twitching. By the wall, Yuki slowly came back to. She looked at the chaos unfolding in front of her and her eyes glazed over.

_I should be used to this…_ she thought to herself, _It always ends up this way…_ She looked over at her son, who was laughing while Ino shot a glare at the now conscious Naruto. It seemed that the boy in the orange jumpsuit had taken the majority of the beef and was reluctant to share. _But he's happy… I can't take that away from my boy…_ Blinking, she looked at the pale white eye that was her son's. _Someday I'll get you out of this debt… I swear it._ Yuki turned to face the Hyuuga girl who was nervously eating despite the ruckus around her. Every so often she'd glance at Naruto and blush, quickly looking away. _Ah… So the little princess has a crush on someone else… Maybe I can use that, too._ Yuki smiled to herself, hatching a scheme that rivalled even Naruto's. She'd do anything to keep her little boy smiling.

X00000X

"So then Takeshi-kun walked everyone back home after the party!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly to his tenant. He sat cross legged in the sewer system, not really bothered by the water seeping into his clothes. It always disappeared whenever he woke up. "I'm really glad to have a friend like him, 'ttebayo!"

**"****I STILL DON'T SEE WHY YOU INSIST ON TELLING ME YOUR STUPID DAILY LIFE STORIES, BRAT," **the great Kyuubi no Yoko growled from behind his cage. **"IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH YOU SPEAK, ONCE I'M FREE, YOU'LL ALL DIE BY MY POWER."** Naruto scratched the back of his head, frowning a little bit. The bijuu was taking no shame in glaring at the young boy.

"We~ll… I thought if I told you what was going on outside, you might feel less lonely," Naruto admitted. "But if you wanna stay trapped in here with nothing to do, then-"

**"****FINE! I'LL LISTEN TO YOUR STUPID TALES…" **The Kyuubi closed its eyes, grumbling under its breath. **"IT SURE AS HELL BEATS DOING NOTHING… NO MATTER HOW ANNOYING YOUR VOICE IS…"**

"That hurt, 'ttebayo!" Naruto pouted, gaining a chuckle from the great beast. "Hey, you laughed!" The chuckling ceased.

**"****I DID NOT, BRAT! SHUT UP BEOFRE I KILL YOU," **was the angry response.

"Whatever. Goodnight, you jerk fox," Naruto replied, fading away from the mindscape.

X00000X

"So, like, Shi-kun said his mom is starting to teach him the family technique," Ino told her father at breakfast the day after the barbeque. Inoichi looked up from the Sunday paper, the news catching his interest. It was common knowledge, or rather WAS common knowledge, that the Muto clan were experts at close ranged fighting, almost overpowering the Hyuuga. "Daddy, what's '_Hozaku_'?" The sandy blonde haired man smiled at his little girl. Ever since Takeshi had entered her life, she was more respectful and seemed to be a lot calmer. Of course he'd never allow the boy to get too close to her, but he had a pretty good impact on her life according to the father.

"_Hozaku_ is the style of fighting that the Muto clan used," Inoichi explained, setting down his paper for a moment. "It's hard to describe, since our family uses a completely different tactic…" He thought for a minute before turning back to his curious daughter. "Have you ever seen a street fight? I think your mother took you to see a performance fight a few years ago…" Ino nodded eagerly. "Good, that makes it a lot easier."

"What do street brawls have to do with anything?" she persisted.

"Well, I guess _Hozaku_ is like a brawler kind of fighting style taken to the next level," Inoichi scratched the side of his head, looking for the right words. "You know how the Hyuuga have their very eloquent technique that uses a lot of chakra control? Well, _Hozaku_ would be like the ugly stepsister of _Juuken_. It uses more force and speed than _Juuken_. Maybe you should ask if Yuki-san will let you watch them train." Ino nodded again.

"Thanks daddy!" she smiled, giving her father a quick hug before heading upstairs to her room. Inoichi sighed and lifted his paper up again, hoping nothing bad had happened since the week before. His eyes skimmed briefly over the obituaries.

_Hm… I guess the old Hyuuga was on his last leg, huh?_ He chuckled to himself, seeing the name of one of the Hyuuga council pop up on the paper. _Guess it was the 'Underwear Prank' that shortened his life…_ Years ago when his daughter was eight, the infamous Uzumaki Naruto had pulled a fast one over the entire village. Somehow during the span of a week, he'd broken into almost every house and store and stole underwear. The days after, smoke could be seen in one of the training grounds as he burned them all. It had taken a full seven months before enough shipments of undergarments came in to appropriate everyone. Much to Ino's displeasure, she had been one of the targets. For some reason the Muto family wasn't targeted, resulting in a few awkward moments between Takeshi and Inoichi's daughter. Suffice it to say, the most uptight clans, the Hyuuga and Uchiha, were absolutely livid. Several of the elders had gone to the hospital from heart attacks.

Inoichi's concentration was taken to the knocking at his door. Slowly, he stood, setting down his paper on the desk beside his chair. He walked over to the door and opened it, coming face to face with Muto Yuki. His eyes widened in surprise. "Yuki-san. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" The white haired woman had a serious look in her purple eyes.

"Please, will you go on a walk with me?" she asked. It was a simple request, but it was also a tick that was common in the Muto clan. When someone asked to on a walk with a serious look, it meant that business was afoot. "Please?"

"O-Of course…" Inoichi agreed. He then turned back to the house. "Darling, I'm going out!"

"Be back by dinner, dear! Nara-sama and his family is joining us!" was the response. Inoichi came out of his house and closed the door behind him. Yuki was already walking in the direction towards the gate, probably not even thinking about it. The Yamanaka moved swiftly in order to catch up with her. There was an uneasy silence for a good few minutes. Inoichi noticed that Yuki's normally neat, pulled back hair was slightly disheveled and messy. Not only that, but she had some dark circles under her eyes. He wondered if she'd gotten any sleep the night before.

"I want to ask you if you plan on letting your daughter marry," she finally spoke. Inoichi was taken aback, and forgot to walk for a good two seconds. Yuki stopped with him. Had she been thinking about this all night? No, longer. Ever since her son had gotten that Hyuuga eye, Inoichi had noticed that Yuki was trying to push their children together. In fact, Ino almost spent more time at the Muto house than at her own. Though he respected the woman, he wasn't sure that he wanted the boy to be his son-in-law. He had no real talent for fighting, nor the guts to do anything that stood out. Takeshi was almost like a civilian at best. This was his little girl's life on the line. How could he take in a boy who couldn't even face her father without stuttering?

"I'm sorry, but you already know how I feel about this issue," Inoichi responded, resuming their walk. "It's not that I don't like the boy's nature, but-"

"-he's basic," Yuki completed for him. The sandy blonde gave her an apologetic nod. There was another silence. "I made a mistake, Inoichi-san," she finally said. His attention was completely directed to her. "Takeshi-kun has a marriage agreement to the heiress of the Hyuuga." It took a moment, but Inoichi's eye twitched. He hadn't heard about this. "I had to do it to give my son his vision back… But I was hoping I could find a way to get out of the contract without risking him losing his eye."

"So you mean to take up the 1.A-7 Infidelity Clause?" the Yamanaka asked. To be honest, he could understand her predicament. Like him, she loved to dote on her child. They understood that about each other perfectly. But it was her fault for accepting any agreement with Hiashi. He couldn't bring himself to accept her proposal when he had nothing to gain from it. It was selfish, sure enough, but he couldn't risk it. Not with his daughter.

"I understand your love for your daughter, Inoichi-san, but please understand this," Yuki suddenly stopped, giving the man a hard, defiant look. He'd only seen that look from her a few times. She was serious. "My son is to be wedded to a family of manipulators and liars. To a girl who not only took his sight, but has no interest in him whatsoever. I've seen many different types of torture during my service as a ninja, but nothing could compare to a loveless marriage." Her gaze softened upon the man beside her. "You understand this, don't you? I know for a fact that my son has a crush on Ino-chan. He may not realize it, but he does. I need your help to-"

"Forgive me, Yuki-san, but I'd rather not continue this," Inoichi interrupted. "I do understand what you're saying, but I cannot agree to this. I offer my most sincere apologies, but my answer is no." With that, the Yamanaka head reversed his direction, heading back to his home.

X00000X

A/N:

Ah, this was a fun one. I noticed I moved a bit too forward with that last chapter, and decided to take a step back. I also wanted to start introducing the other characters, and build up more on Takeshi's relationship with them. Not only that, but I wanted to create a social standpoint towards Naruto. While he's not particularly hated by his peers, it's obvious they don't want him around. Hell, even Shino is welcomed more than him. I also wanted to develop Takeshi's strength. A lot of OC's that I've seen start off already overpowered, but here we see Takeshi's a late bloomer. Hell, he doesn't even know his own clan's techniques! He's the epitome of generic. Unlike with my SAO fic where Kirito and Kai are both equals, I'm thinking of giving Naruto the secondary role here. Right now I'm still developing them so this isn't a final decision. Tell me what you guys think. Should I have Naruto be the main focus, or Takeshi? Anyway, hope you liked it! Ta-ta!


	3. Chapter 2: The Calm Before the Storm

KaiSenpai does not own Naruto, but yet the Power of Youth still burns brightly in his soul!

X00000X

A/N:

Whew! the most I've written ever for a chapter. I'm really a bit dubious about this one, and think I could have done better. I'd rather not spoil anything, but this is the reason I rated the story 'M'. Get your head out of the gutter and read for yourself. See you at the bottom!

The Calm Before the Storm

X00000X

Takeshi stood quietly in line as Naruto and Sasuke both duked it out on the Academy training field. Both of them were holding up their own, but it was obvious that Naruto was losing. Sasuke was just toying with the poor guy. At twelve years old, Takeshi's white hair had grown to waist length, just like his mother. Somewhere during the last year, Ino had giving him pink highlights in his sleep, much to his distaste. It grew on him, however, and he liked the new color to his hair now. Of course, Ino had teased him for it, as well as Sakura and the rest of his class.

"You're done for, dobe!" Sasuke shouted, "HYAH!" Kicking Naruto into the air, Sasuke leapt up and grabbed the boy's collar, twisting and throwing the blonde academy student to the ground. Dazed, Naruto didn't get up. "Hn, still pathetic as always…"

"Good fight, boys," Iruka gave them both a light smile, "Alright our final round will be between Muto Takeshi and Uchiha Sasuke. Can you handle this or do you want to rest?" He directed the question to Sasuke. Naruto grumbled, getting up and rubbing his back

"I feel like the Old Man," he muttered under his breath as he walked back to the group of spectating students.

"I can handle another fight," Sasuke replied to the question. Slowly, Takeshi made his way to his place in the sparring ring. He smiled gently at the boy in front of him. However, the smile soon turned into a confident smirk. "You're going down this time, Takeshi-teme."

"Still sore about me whooping your ass last time, Sasuke-teme?" was the witty retort, "Don't worry, your fangirls kiss your ass it so much it must've healed in no time." A few of the students watching giggled. Even Iruka held back a laugh, but he has order to keep.

"Watch your language, Takeshi-kun," he said, putting on a serious face. "Alright, this match is taijutsu only. Absolutely no ninjutsu, do you understand?" His gaze hit both boys. The last time they sparred, it had dug a small crater into the training grounds.

"**Yes Iruka-sensei**," they both replied, eyes focused on each other. Tension filled the air as the two top academy students readied themselves to prove who was stronger.

_Damn, I wish I had my Sharingan,_ Sasuke thought to himself, _At least then I could follow his movements._ While there was no doubt that Sasuke had more skill, Takeshi had proven time and time again that he dished out more damage with his strikes.

"Kick his butt, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cheered from the sidelines.

"You can do it Shi-kun!" Ino pressed for her best friend, "Give him no mercy!"

"Begin!" Iruka shouted. In less than a second, both boys had leapt back out of the sparring circle. Normally that would have resulted in a dual disqualification, Iruka let it slide due to the fact that their fights needed more space than a ten meter circle. Sasuke took the first move by throwing about five kunai at his opponent. With ease, they were deflected by the kunai in Takeshi's right hand.

"_Byakugan_!" the white haired boy activated his right eye. "Keh, your ass is mine pretty boy! HYATCHAA!" With a speed rivalled by Sasuke, Takeshi rushed forward at his enemy. It took him two seconds to span the fifteen meter gap. If I can beat you, then I'll make you treat me to the music store!" Sasuke shivered before blocking his opponent's first punch. It was well known in their class that Takeshi had taken up a music hobby, especially the acoustic guitar. His money often went to buying music pieces or new guitar strings, a result of near continuous playing. Suffice it to say, it'd be expensive.

"And when I win, I'll make you kiss Naruto-teme!" Sasuke shot back. A wave of 'EWWWWW' came from the students. Sasuke leapt into the air, attempting to spin kick the boy. Unfortunately, Takeshi ducked down just in time, leaping back a meter.

"_Hozaku_!" Takeshi shouted. "_Chakra Hogo_!" (Chakra Defense!) A faint glow surrounded Takeshi's immediate body in the form of a sphere. "You're finished! HRAAAH!" He punched forward, the glow in front of him solidifying with pure chakra, almost like a shockwave from the sheer force of the punch. As soon as his punch made contact with Sasuke, who was stunned at the new technique displayed, the chakra creating the 'shockwave' seemed to suck in Sasuke's chakra. Almost immediately, the last Uchiha felt a bit weaker. Yes, the punch had hurt a hell of a lot more than the boy's normal strike, but he felt energy leave. The barrage of chakra enhanced punches continued, each one weakening the target. Despite his best efforts, Sasuke couldn't gather up the energy to move out of the way.

"Go get him, Shi-kun!" Ino continued to cheer. Following the girl's advice, Sasuke was being pummeled by the boy. Upon closer look, one could see that his once cool purple eyes were now a sunset yellow. With a final drawback with his right arm, Takeshi drew chakra into said limb and struck his opponent square in the stomach. Unlike the previous punches, this one didn't drain chakra. Instead, it released all of Sasuke's collected chakra into one, destructive punch. Instead of the chakra 'shockwave' with the previous punches, this one was a real shockwave, pure and simple. Those spectating could feel the power, even twenty meters away. With the final strike, Sasuke flew back, weak and unable to stand. Iruka was speechless.

_That's the power of the Muto clan? _He thought to himself, _No wonder they were feared by a lot of the other clans…_ "By knockout, the match goes to Muto Takeshi!" Iruka was a little bit proud to name the boy the winner. For one, he had only been a mediocre student when he'd first arrived. A C-grad student, really. He was proud to see the boy improve so much to beat the top student. Secondly, Sasuke had been acting a bit more standoffish as the years went by. Iruka figured that a good beating would put the boy in his place. The teacher smiled as a certain blonde girl ran up to Takeshi, giving him a hug. _Looks like Hokage-sama was right. Those two were made for each other._ He then looked at Sasuke, who was just now getting up. The boy glared at the victor, before finally rejoining the group. _He'll need an attitude check, but it looks like a change is happening for the better._

"Alright, class, time to go back inside!" With a collective groan, the students began streaming back into the building. It only took about five minutes for everyone to take their seat. "Alright, as you know the genin exams are tomorrow." He raised a hand to stop the inevitable talking before it started, "We'll begin the written portion at PRECICELY 8:10 AM. That means anyone late will automatically FAIL!" He gave Naruto a cold glare, making the boy sink into his seat. "Now that that's over with, class is dismissed. Have a nice evening and remember to not be late." The last few words only reached a few students. Everyone else had pretty much bolted out of class. Well, except for Naruto. "Can I help you?" The boy was standing in front of Iruka's desk, quiet for once.

"Can we get some ramen together, Iruka-sensei?"

X00000X

"It was really nice of your mom to let us go out for dinner tonight," the young Yamanaka told her friend, "I honestly, like, thought she was going to burst when we suggested it." The boy nodded, smiling a bit. Ino and Takeshi were walking down the main avenue of Konohagakure. It was currently around ten at night, and the place was filled with bright lanterns and late night stores selling their wares. In front of them was the Hokage Monument, towering above everything else. Ino had taken a moment back at her house to change into the clothing that Takeshi liked, a long, ream colored skirt and a simple purple sweater with a gladiolus pinned over her heart. She'd let the bang over her right eye down and had taken off the pin that held her normal ponytail, letting her hair down like her friend's. It wasn't quite as long as his, but reached the small of her back. They'd made an agreement that out of school, she'd dress like that. (A/N: Think of Road to Ninja's Ino, but younger)

Takeshi, on the other hand, had a different set of casual wear. Instead, he'd picked up a dark green leather jacket and long, khaki pants. Under the jacket he wore a plain white clan shirt with the crest on the back. If anyone could see it, it would look like a "C" rotated ninety degrees clockwise. His hair was still at waist level, but the top of his head was messy and unkempt. His hair had actually been compared to a mix between Naruto's spiky hair and Sasuke's bangs.

"Say, Shi-kun?" Ino piped up, drawing her friend's attention, "I know we'll have no problem passing tomorrow, but do you think we'll be on the same team?" Takeshi thought for a moment before answering.

"Probably not," he said, resulting in Ino's pouting face, "I figure the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho group would want their children to be in the same team. We'll probably be separated." The girl beside him sighed, raising her arms behind her head.

"But I don't like know those two morons very well…" she complained, "I'd much rather stick with my best friend." She smiled and looked over at him. With a slight blush, Takeshi looked away. "Hey, don't you think for a second we'll, like, have less time to hang out!" The boy simply sighed and nodded slightly, looking off into the distance. Ino's expression fell

_Great,_ she scolded herself, _I just had to go and say that stuff… Now he's off in his own head overthinking everything… I swear he's just like daddy…_ The two kept walking throughout the night. Soon enough, it was about an hour later. They'd wandered into the outskirts of the village, and were circling around the wall. Looking around, Ino noticed a lot of rundown buildings and some even abandoned. _I think we might be somewhere we shouldn't…_ She looked back over at her friend, who was still lost in thought. _I wonder how long he can stay like that…_

"How long do you want to stay out?" Takeshi suddenly spoke. Ino took a moment to regain her bearings. Him speaking took her by surprise.

"Um… Maybe a few more hours? Like, I'm kinda worried about the exam tomorrow…" the platinum blonde admitted. Takeshi smiled and crossed his arms, sticking out his tongue.

"Honestly, the great and brilliant Yamanaka Ino is worried about a simple little exam?" The boy chuckled, "I know a few people who'd love a little bit of gossip about the Gossip Queen." The girl's cheeks flushed a fiery pink.

"Y-You wouldn't dare!" she stomped her foot, ceasing the walk for the moment. "Oh yeah? Well what if I told everyone that you still sleep with Mr. Tiger?" Takeshi's amused face quickly fell.

"N-Now let's not get too hasty, Ino-chan…" he stammered. Ino smirked and crossed her arms. Ino, one. Takeshi, zippo. The boy quickly composed himself, sighing. A single store was open, and he stopped in front of it. "Hey, I gotta… do something. I'll be right back." Quickly the young Muto ran into the store, asking the owner a question before heading to the back. It seemed like forever as Ino waited outside the store for her friend. It was now midnight, and her cheeks were beginning to get a little bit chilly.

"I really should get back home, soon…" she whispered to himself, "but I want to spend a little more time with Shi-kun… Maybe we can just walk back." She smiled and nodded to herself. Not a second later she felt a presence behind her. Before she could react, dirty, grubby hands had grabbed her, covering her mouth so she couldn't scream. She felt a sharp pain strike the back of her head before she fell into the dark reaches of unconsciousness.

X00000X

Yuki hummed to herself as she washed the dishes in the sink. She'd made dinner only for herself, and had noticed the stack of plates and glasses from the nights before during the process. As she cleaned, she looked over at her son's guitar and musical sheets on the living room table. He'd been practicing a few hours before class, and sometimes would after if Ino was busy that day. She frowned a bit, knowing that the dreaded day was now less than four years away. Not only was she having trouble pairing up her son with the blonde girl, but her father had straight up refused to let them become involved with one another. It irked her to no end. She noticed that a few plates had some stubborn stains, and decided to let the soak for a little bit. Drying her hands, she decided to take a look at what her son was working on.

She sat on the couch behind the table. It had been a gift from the Uchiha clan when she and her husband were wedded when they were sixteen, almost eighteen years ago. It was one of the few relics that was salvaged after the Kyuubi attacked. Perishing the thought, Yuki picked up a few papers and looked through them. Never the musical type, she couldn't make heads or tails of the notes and symbols on the paper. What struck her, however, were the words. They weren't printed out as she expected them to be. Instead, they were handwritten. The small pot of ink sitting at the edge of the table and the quill sticking out of it caught her attention. Her son was writing his own music? Her heart fluttered. The Muto woman's eyes skimmed over the lyrics.

**Gladiolus**

**Written by Muto Takeshi**

_Every day starts like every other day_

_But to be honest, I wouldn't have it_

_Any other way_

_To see your smiling face makes my heart race_

_And yet at the same time, my breath_

_It becomes displaced_

_Sweet gladiolus_

_What makes my heart beat loud?_

_Darling gladiolus_

_I'm up on this high cloud_

_Lovely gladiolus_

_I swear my feeling's true_

_Perfect gladiolus_

_Tell me, what's it mean to you?_

_The forbidden fruit, grown from heavenly seeds_

_No matter the time or place_

_I'll cherish your needs_

_Growing tall beside me for years to come_

_I admire how you speak and laugh_

_And even then some_

_Sweet gladiolus_

_What makes my heart beat loud?_

_Darling gladiolus_

_I'm up on this high cloud_

_Lovely gladiolus_

_I swear my feeling's true_

_Perfect gladiolus_

_Tell me, what's it mean to you?_

Yuki couldn't help the smile forming on her face. Sure it was a bit rusty and a little awkward at some places, but what she held in her hand was a genuine love song. Of course, there was no doubt in her mind on who it was for.

"She has no idea how lucky she is," the woman chuckled slightly to herself, "If only Haru-kun had done something so artistic… I wonder where Takeshi-kun got it from…" Yuki was drawn from her thoughts by knocking at the door. She glanced at the clock, noting it was a little bit past one. She stood up slowly, placing the papers where she'd found them, and went to answer. Opening it, she found herself face to face with an irate Haishi Hyuuga.

"Where is your son?" he sneered, "We need to talk."

X00000X

Ino's eyes fluttered open. It was dark. It was cold. Her hazy vision slowly returned, as did her memory. In a panic, the young girl tried to move, only to find that she was chained to the wall behind her. Judging from the stonework currently digging itself into her back, she figured it must be a basement of some sort.

"Dammit," she cursed, "So stupid… I knew we shouldn't have stayed there…" Despite her calm expression, Ino was terrified. Takeshi had been teaching her how to keep calm and carry on. It was, after all, how he acted. He could be wild and fun loving one moment, and calm and serious the next. If Ino recalled correctly, there was a third personality that all Muto had. She couldn't quite remember what it was, though.

"Looks like the little bitch is awake," someone said from the opposite side of the room. A dim light flickered in the middle, keeping him in the shadows. "Go and get the others." She heard movement to her left, like someone climbing up stairs, and heard a door open.

"It's playtime, boys!" the muffled voice of a man could be heard. "She's a cutie, too!"

"Great!" someone replied, getting closer. Ino could hear a few people coming down the stairs, "It's been a while since I've had some fresh meat." Ino cringed when the man said that. It didn't matter what she was hoping would happen, she was about to go through something terrible.

"Shi-kun…" she whispered, trying desperately to get free. She looked around her, afraid. There were about eight men, four of them with Konoha hitai-ate. They stared at her lustfully.

"Oh, she's a young one," one of the men smirked, moving towards her. Ino felt chills run down her spine, "Good. They always squeal the most." The man's finger brushed against her body.

_No…_ the girl thought to herself, closing her eyes, _Please… Please don't touch me… I'm saving myself for… Please don't…_

"Ready boys? We've got all night," the same man chuckled, "Sorry kiddo, but as soon as we do this, you're dead. Can't have anyone knowing what we're doing. Hope you understand." The man grabbed at the sides of Ino's sweater, slowly tearing it open.

"No! Please stop!" she finally screamed, "Someone help me!" One of the men in the back of the room chuckled as her sweater was ripped off, revealing her bright yellow bra to the world.

"Ain't no one around to save ya, sweetheart," he sneered, "But go ahead and cry some more, it's a massive turn on!"

"Shi-kun! Help me!" Ino screamed desperately. As if in response, something could be hear breaking upstairs.

"The hell was that?" the man who had been forcefully stripping her stopped just as he was about to take the girl's bra off. "You, go and see what that was."

"But boss, I want a whack at her!"

"She'll still be here when you get back, dumbass," the man growled, "Now get your ass upstairs and make sure no one else is here!" Ino could hear grumbling as one of the eight stormed up the stairs. She heard the door open. "Now, back to you, you pretty little-"

"GRAAAAAAAH!"

"AAAYYIEEEE!"

**CRASH!**

Ino heard something smash into the wall to her left. Taken aback, the men stared at the entrance. Ino turned her head to look as well, and what she saw scared her. The platinum blonde had seen her best friend in some pretty rough situations, but what stood in front of her was even worse. There was Takeshi, eye a glowing red and his byakugan active. His normally beautiful white, wavy hair was replaced by a jet black, waving in the air from sheer power. Ino could feel the massive killing intent radiating off of his body, seeping from every pore. The men without hitai-ate fell to their knees from the sheer force. Then, he caught sight of her. The aura around them spiked.

"NOBODY TOUCHES INO-CHAN!" he roared, flashing forward. With a mighty strike, he pummeled the man directly in front of his best friend. Ino, being less than a meter away, could feel the force as the chakra enhanced punches reigned down upon the man. After about five punches, the chakra force field disappeared, marking Takeshi's final strike that launched the offender into the wall on the far side of the room to Ino's right.

"S-Shi-kun," tears fell down Ino's face. The boy gave her a soft look before turning to the other men. "K-Kick their asses…" In less than a second, he'd dashed across the room. To anyone looking hard enough, they'd have seen Takeshi punching the men in his path as he went from target to target, weakening them all individually. Soon enough said men were backed together in a clustered group, Takeshi having disappeared from view.

"W-Where are you, you little shit!?" one growled, "Fucking come out and stop hiding!" There was a laugh that sent waves of ice through Ino's body. It was evil. Sadistic. Absolutely mortifying. It wasn't a deep laugh, but it wasn't a light one. It was the laugh of someone who'd gone completely off of the deep end. "What the hell are you!?" In a movement that Ino would later describe being like a thrown kunai, Takeshi seemed to fly directly at the cluster of men, even though his feet were on the ground. With his barrier down, he released the complete amount of chakra he'd accumulated from the six men all at once, blasting them all into the wall. It was a moment before the silence ended.

"Shi-kun…?" Ino noticed her friend's hair had returned to its snowy white color, and when he'd turned to face her, she noticed his eyes were back to normal as well. The boy came over and released her from her bindings, and she latched onto him, ignoring that she only had a bra on her torso. "I… I was so scared, Shi-kun…" She cried into the boy's chest as his arms wrapped around her. They felt strong. Warm. Safe. She looked up into the eyes of her rescuer. They had a sort of happy smile to them, looking at her with care and consideration.

"Let's get out of here, ok?" he said. The girl nodded and felt herself being picked up much like a bride would, causing her to blush.

_He's so nice to me…_ she thought to herself as they left. Looking around, she found a clock that said it was a half hour after midnight. She looked at Takeshi again, his face glowing in the moonlight as he leapt up onto the roofs, taking large strides towards her house. _He's really handsome, too… He has Yuki-san's angled face…_ The young Yamanaka buried her face into the Muto's chest, smiling. She could feel his heartbeat quicken a little bit before dying down once more. "Shi-kun?" The girl spoke up as they stopped in front of the girl's house. All of the lights were off.

"Hm?" He set her down, giving her a curious look. "What is it, Ino-chan?" Without a moment's hesitation he felt something soft press against his lips. Takeshi's eyes widened, staring at the girl kissing him, before softly closing and wrapping his arms around her. It was beyond anything he'd ever dreamed of before. After a few minutes the two kissing academy students parted from their liplock.

"Consider it, a… well, a thanks…" Ino smiled, blushing almost as much as a certain Hyuuga. "Nothing more, ok? One time only. I'll see you tomorrow, Shi-kun." With a quick wave, Ino was gone to her house. Takeshi simply stared at the dark building, watching as one of the third floor lights turned on, before taking a deep sigh and resuming his walk, heading home. Taking a look at a clock inside a bar, he found it was almost one in the morning.

"Mom will be worried," he told himself, "I hope Ino-chan will be ok…" A thumping noise caught his attention. He looked up at the house again and saw Ino at the window. She opened it and waved him in. With a good leap, he barreled into her room. "Need something?" The girl was pale, a little bit more than usual anyway.

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable sleeping alone…" she admitted, "Will you spend the night? I can get a futon from the closet, so… please stay tonight?" She was pressing her index fingers together and looking at the ground just like Hinata did whenever Naruto got near. It was ADORABLE.

"Sure," Takeshi smiled, helping the girl get the necessary sleeping arrangement. A few minutes later Ino leaned over from bed to turn off the desklamp. Beside her on the floor, Takeshi was already sound asleep. She smiled and bent down, kissing his cheek.

"Goodnight my hero," she smiled and turned off the lamp, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

X00000X

A/N:

Well, how did I do? Like I said, I was hoping for it to be a bit better. Not only that, but I had originally meant for the students to take the Genin Exam in this chapter, but decided to put Takeshi's personality into concrete instead. I've decided he'd be very fun loving and happy, but within the same body be calm, tactical, and cool when he needs to. He's sort of the mirror of Kai in _Aincrad's Madman_. But I also wanted to give him the lunatic personality that my OC's tend to have. For those of you reading after the name change, I originally called this story _Konoha's Lunatic Warrior_, but decided against it because I'd need to keep Takeshi as a lunatic to do that. Unfortunately, his close connection to Ino is spoiling that. But no worries, I plan on breaking him very, very soon. Kukukukukuku.

Anyways, seeya! Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 3: The Storm

KaiSenpai does not own Naruto. I can't believe this has to be repeated every chapter. Ugh, I need a drink…

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A/N:

That last chapter really threw me through a loop. It wasn't supposed to be that long. Well, we certainly have some trouble brewing! As of now, Takeshi is still in a marriage agreement with the heiress of the Hyuuga clan. We can only assume that's Hinata at the moment. But the most troublesome part is that he seems to have a crush on Ino, despite her father's disproval. Not only that, but he's now staying in her room! Oh boy, this will be fun.

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The Storm

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Yuki sat nervously, pouring tea for her unexpected guest. Haishi looked like he'd rushed getting dressed, as his clothing was not prim and perfect as always. In fact, judging from the man's stoic yet tired eyes, it looked like he'd just woken up. Still, his angry gaze was unsettling. After taking a few sips in silence, Haishi began to speak.

"Your son has broken the marriage agreement," he said. Yuki's eyes widened in surprise. It'd broken? But how? In fact, how could the man before her know? "There is a seal on the contract that highlights whatever reason the contract is broken with. Clause A-01, if I'm not mistaken." Yuki's eyes flashed with surprise. Yes, she was well aware of that one.

_In the event of physical infidelity_, she remembered, _the marriage agreement and all it entails becomes null and void, ending it immediately._

"I see," she replied, taking another sip of her ginger tea. "I'm afraid I don't know where my little boy is, nor whom he might have caused infidelity with." She hid a smirk. True, she didn't know where he was. But there was only one person who she suspected he might have been with.

"Then the boy has to be punished for his betrayal," Haishi growled. Yuki's face paled. "Of course, having signed the contract, you were aware of this, correct? After all, to sign a marriage agreement is to sign a legally binding contract, susceptible to all Konoha laws for similar offenses. In this case, the punishment for infidelity is banishment or death."

"I… I'm afraid you'll have to wait and give Takeshi-kun the news to his face," Yuki said stiffly, hoping not to give away any guilty emotion. Haishi gave the woman a twisted smile, sending shivers down her spine.

"Of course, as the one who signed the agreement, you have the choice to take his place," he suggested. Muto Yuki didn't even take a second to hesitate.

"Of course, the doting mother decides to protect her weak son," said the Hyuuga head's eyes drooped. "So pathetic. Banishment is much too good for you." Yuki's eyes widened.

"Y-You wouldn't…" she tried, "At least the Hokage must become involved, shouldn't he?" Haishi scowled, knowing that if he tried to kill her without the Hokage of her 'betrayal', he'd be counted as a traitor himself.

"You will come with me. _Byakugan_!" without warning, Haishi lashed out, striking the tenketsu points on Yuki's body, shutting down the muscles in her body so she couldn't move. Yuki groaned in pain as she fell to the floor, only to be picked up and thrown over Haishi's shoulder. "I've waited too long to take you out of the picture," he said.

"You bastard…" Yuki growled weakly, trying hard to stay conscious, "What the hell would you gain from killing me?" Haishi chuckled, shaking his head. "Tell me you fucker! Don't make me scream for help!" Haishi stopped a moment, and Yuki could feel a finger placed on the back of her neck. "N-No! HEL-" before she could finish screaming, a spike of chakra was sent through a tenketsu point on her neck, knocking her out cold. Haishi resumed without a word, carrying the woman to the Hokage Mansion. It took a few minutes, but he finally made it without further incident. Yuki began waking up as he entered the building, making it look like she was simply in a drunken state.

"We've come to see the Hokage," Haishi told the secretary out front. Being a supporter of the Hyuuga clan, the woman at the desk nodded in earnest, announcing his presence. Not a minute after, he was allowed to go to the office. He took the 'drunken' Muto up to the Hokage's office, making sure she wasn't completely in the right mind. The shinobi standing guard in front of the office doors let him through with no trouble. As he entered, he noticed the office was a mess. Sitting at his desk, eyes drooped from lack of sleep, sat Sarutobi Hiruzen.

X00000X

As much as he liked helping the people of Konoha, Hiruzen didn't like to be woken up late at night. Unfortunately, some of the most serious cases happened at night. Especially if it involved the Hyuuga clan. He rested his chin in his hands, leaning forward on his desk. He'd just heard that Muto Yuki was accused of breaking a marriage agreement between her son and Haishi's daughter. Unfortunately, it was also on a legal document, which the Hyuuga head just so happened to have with him between the folds of his robes. To quote Nara Shikaku, it was troubling. According to Konoha laws, all written contracts had the same power as the laws within the village. Looking over the document, Hiruzen saw the A-01 clause highlighted in a bright, glowing purple. Infidelity.

Normally, if it were between civilians, he could brush this off to Danzo and head back to bed. However, this sadly required the Hokage's word. He stared at the now sobering Muto. To be completely honest, both clans had his utmost respect. While Haishi was strict and quite quick to throw stones, he never brought anything up unless he deemed it serious. Yuki, however, tended to fly off the handle relatively easily, but she always made sure things went smoothly enough to not have to involve the Hokage. To see them both here, however, worried the old man. He took another glance at the marriage agreement, as well as the list of laws concerning Konoha shinobi and political intermarriage, which was what the agreement pertained to. The punishment for infidelity of any kind was death, or banishment as a lighter case. Unfortunately for Yuki, since the perpetrators were not present and action was demanded immediately by Haishi who ultimately held power over the contract, only the worst could be assumed. The punishment, much to Hiruzen's disagreement, was death. He stared at the two clan heads. While he could tell that Haishi was hiding back a look of smug confidence behind a stoic mask, Yuki seemed afraid.

"It pains me to say, but Haishi-san is correct in his judgment," Hiruzen spoke slowly. The woman's face paled considerably, almost giving her the look of a spirit. "Yuki-san, are you certain you wish to take the place of your son in his sentence?" Yuki slowly nodded, taking a deep breath.

"I do," she said, her nervous shaking becoming evident. "But may I request something from you, Hokage-sama?" The old man nodded in approval. "Please… Please take care of my boy… I leave all of the clan's belongings to him… Please make sure he knows that I loved him, and that is why I took his place…" Hiruzen stood, walking around his desk to the trembling Muto.

"I'm sorry it's come to this," he said as Haishi stood. The old Hokage caressed the woman's hair, kneeling beside her and giving her a warm smile. "I promise to take care of your son as if he were my own… Haishi, make it painless for her."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"I never said I'd go down without a fight, Hokage-sama," Yuki's eyes flashed dangerously, fading into a bright yellow. "If I must be killed by this man, then I will die with the pride of a Muto. She stood quickly, taking up a fighting stance as Hiruzen was pushed away. Yuki became surrounded by a light blue chakra sphere. Without hesitation, Yuki rushed the two meters between her and the stunned Haishi. Her fist made contact with the Hyuuga's chest, absorbing chakra into the sphere in the shape of a shockwave. "I won't give in so easily!" Hiruzen watched in shock as Haishi struggled to maintain his strength. However, Yuki's fighting spirit did not last to land another blow.

The tenketsu points in her body were still having trouble circulating chakra through her body, and she quickly collapsed before she could strike again. Her chakra sphere dissipated, allowing the Hyuuga to regain his bearings. He stared disapprovingly at the woman.

"It figures that the mother of a weak runt would also be weak," he snarled, resting a hand on top of her head. "You will die with shame." Forcing a large spike of chakra through her head to her brain, Muto Yuki lived no more.

X00000X

The day had not started well for Takeshi. First, he discovered that he and Ino had slept in. It took her father yelling at around seven-thirty to wake them up. Not only that, but he'd actually gone into Ino's room. The sandy blonde man wasn't exactly happy at finding Takeshi there. In fact, he threatened to castrate the boy if he ever found him there again. Thus, Takeshi made haste for the school building. It was about eight when he arrived at the building, and most of the other students had already arrived. Takeshi took a seat at his desk at the back row, watching the clock. He wondered if his mom was doing alright. After all, he hadn't come home the night before.

_She'll be fine_, he thought to himself. _She probably thinks I spent the night at Shikamaru-kun's again. I'll tell her the truth when I get home._ He watched as Ino arrived at 8:07. When she saw Takeshi, she blushed and looked away, frowning a little bit. Instead of sitting beside him, she sat by Sasuke, leaving an empty spot beside him until Sakura arrived. To say that the pink haired girl was upset would be an understatement.

"What the hell are you doing sitting by my Sasuke-kun, Ino!?" yelled the Haruno. Ino gave her friend a desperate look, glancing slightly at Takeshi, who was still facing the front of class. Sakura seemed to get the hint and a whispered conversation began. "Did you two get into a fight?"

"No, my daddy caught him sleeping in my room last night," the platinum blonde responded. She'd taken up the regular purple vest and skirt that day.

"Wait, he was sleeping with you?" Sakura gasped, a smile forming across her face, quickly followed by a frown. "So why are you avoiding him HERE?"

"Well…" for once, Ino appeared at a loss for words in class, "I might have… possibly… maybe… kissed him last night…" Sakura gasped, a wide grin on her face.

"OH MY GOD!" she squealed excitedly, earning the attention of everyone in class, especially the boy who was the topic of their conversation. Iruka entered the class, telling everyone to take their seats. "We'll keep talking later," Sakura winked, taking the seat by Takeshi. She looked over at him and smiled brightly. She could definitely see what had attracted Ino. He had a very handsome face for his age, and deep eyes that seemed to scream mystery. Not only that, but he had a mischievous smile from time to time that made others think he was up to some sort of trouble. But most of the time we was just as relaxed as Shikamaru, and just as friendly as Choji. The only reason to not like him was… Sakura shuddered a bit, he was a lot like Naruto. He was wild and couldn't be contained. When he wanted to do something, he had few inhibitions. Sakura, though, couldn't help but giggle as the written tests were passed out. Looking at the exam, she could see that it was pretty simple. Just a few history questions and some hand sign questions was all. It was about twenty questions long, but the pink haired girl flew right through it.

It seemed she wasn't the only one. She noticed a lot of the other students had definitely had no problem with the test. Even Naruto finished relatively quickly. But the hard part came next. The physical exam. The students were lined up outside, and would be called in one by one. Those in the front row would be called up first. She noticed that Naruto was sitting on the opposite side of the room as her in the back row. He'd be going last, it seemed. It took a while, but one by one everyone had passed. It finally came down to the Naruto. Sasuke had left right after he passed, but Ino and Takeshi had insisted that she, Choji, and Shikamaru stay to see if Naruto made it.

"He'll have no problem," Choji said, munching on one of his bags of chips, "Don't you remember? Iruka-sensei said he had the biggest chakra reserves out of anyone! I'd be surprised if he failed this."

"Just because you have the pieces," Shikamaru sighed, "doesn't mean the toy will work. I admit he's got some potential, but I wouldn't be too sure about his skill." Takeshi nodded his approval.

"Yeah. Remember how he couldn't even do a _henge_ properly?" he reminded everyone. A series of monotone 'Yeah's were muttered. "But still, he's pretty unpredictable. Maybe he'll pull it together." As they talked, Sakura pulled Ino to the side.

"Spill it," she said. The Yamanaka blushed, looking away. She hesitated. "Come on, I tell you all about Sasuke-kun! I deserve at least a little bit of information!" Ino sighed and looked her friend in the eye.

"Ano… Where to start?" the girl stalled, "Well, he kinda, like, saved me from… something nasty…" Ino shuddered, making Sakura wonder if it was the best idea to ask. "So I kissed him as a reward…" Sakura squealed with excitement. "But it didn't mean anything!"

"Ino-chan, how many boys have you kissed before?" Sakura asked smugly. Ino stammered, trying to think up a number. "None! Oh my god, Takeshi-kun was your first kiss!" Ino's blush grew even redder at that.

"S-Shut up!" the girl tried, "It's n-not like that!"

"Ino-chan and Shi-kun, sitting in a tree!" Sakura sang.

"Stop it!" Ino was absolutely mortified, trying to cover her former friend's mouth. "Only I get to call him Shi-kun!"

"Oh, a pet name already, Ino-chan?" Sakura teased, "How cute!" Ino simply shook her head and ran back to the group. Sighing, Sakura frowned a little. Maybe she took it too far. She'd have to apologize later. Ino couldn't help but look away from Takeshi when she saw him. To be honest, she wasn't sure what to think about him. She'd grown up with him. He was her best friend. But she couldn't see him as anything more than that.

"Hey, I'm going to go home and see if my mom is doing alright," Takeshi spoke up. It seemed like Naruto was taking a long time. "Ino-chan, do you want to come with me?" Ino almost instantly shook her head, but thought twice. She still wanted to be his friend. To do that, she couldn't just leave him.

"S-Sure," the nervous girl replied. The others seemed a bit surprised at her being nervous. After all, this was INO, the girl who could seduce almost any man. She NEVER blushed. Takeshi smiled a little and started to walk out.

"See you guys later," he chuckled. Ino walked beside him, almost timidly. Once they were away from the others, Takeshi's look hardened a bit. "Are you ok?"

"W-What do you mean?"

"You avoided me in class," Takeshi's voice was a bit strained. Ino could tell that he was hurt. "Why? Did your dad tell you to?"

"N-No! No! Nothing like that!" Ino defended, waving her hands in front of her. "I just… I don't want you getting the wrong idea about that kiss…"

"Well, you seemed pretty adamant that it was just to say thanks," Takeshi sighed, almost disappointedly, "Besides, you're kinda like a sister to me. My best friend, right?" That had the opposite of the comforting effect that he intended.

_Oh my god, did Shi-kun really just friendzone me?_ Ino fumed. The boy was oblivious to the rage forming on her face. _ME? THE CUTEST GIRL IN SCHOOL?_ She paused. _Scratch that, the cutest KUNOICHI in KONAHA!? FRIENDZONED!?_ She glared at the boy. It wasn't much longer before the two arrived at Takeshi's house. It was oddly quiet. The boy shrugged and entered anyway. For some reason, Ino felt chills run down her spine.

"Mom! I'm home!"

"Muto-san. We need to talk."

X00000X

A/N:

I'm an evil bastard, I know. I had originally planned for Yuki and Haishi to duke it out at the house, but I figured something like that could be reported and gotten Haishi arrested, which would definitely hamper the plot. I needed to get Hiruzen's approval somehow. I wish I could have done better with this one though. I think the relationship between Ino and Takeshi is a bit off, and I wasn't sure how to fix it. Anyway, I've been reading a lot of fic and wanted to do a vote. I know that there are a lot of NaruHina fics out and I want to know, do you want him to fall for another character? Just name what pairing you want. And yes, I'm allowing NaruIno as a love triangle, but will have to create a secondary pairing because the TakIno is permanent. Hope you enjoyed reading! Ciao!


	5. Chapter 4: Hate Beyond Hate

KaiSenpai does not own Naruto, but the Infinite Tsukuyomi can change that…

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Hate Beyond Hate

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Naruto noticed that Takeshi was trembling in his seat the next day. It was weird, but hey, everyone got nervous at some point, right? Showing off his headband to the class, Naruto took his regular seat beside Sasuke, opposite of Sakura. A while back he realized that as long as Sasuke was around, he didn't stand a chance with Sakura. Well, in actuality it was Shikamaru who had told him that. But no matter! He was determined to win the pink haired kunoichi's heart someday.

Naruto looked back over at Takeshi. Ino was rubbing his shoulders, whispering into his ear. It was weird. The blonde boy had never seen them act so close, even considering that they were best friends. _Then again, a lot changed in the last few days…_ he thought to himself. He found himself unconsciously rubbing his stomach. _It's in here… The bastard that ruined my life…_ The boy scowled. _Once I figure out how, I'm gonna beat the shit outta you Kyuubi-teme! 'ttebayo!_

After a few minutes Iruka entered the room with a clipboard. Naruto could tell by how he walked that the Chuunin was still getting over a large shuruiken to the spine. The blonde boy winced at the thought. The murmuring around the class stopped for the most part, except for Ino, who was still whispering into Takeshi's ear.

The Chuunin began to speak, "Alright, congrats to those here for completing and passing the Genin exam, bar one particular special case student." Naruto saw Iruka's gaze pass over him with a slight smile, making the boy feel a twinge of happiness. "You are now officially ninja of Konohagakure, and registered adults. I speak on behalf of the Hokage when I say this, that we are extremely proud of you." Naruto looked around the room, seeing the proud sitting positions of everyone. Except Takeshi. Instead, the boy's right eye seemed to be twitching. Ino was still rubbing his shoulders, speaking a bit more urgently. What was going on with those two? Naruto also noticed that Takeshi's _Byakugan_ was active.

"I have here your assigned teams," Iruka continued, "You'll be waiting here for your Jounin-sensei after I read out your teams." He looked down at his clipboard, reading off the teams by number. "…Team 6 will consist of…" The man took a deep sigh, looking at Takeshi and Ino and hoping he'd bade the right choice. He'd met with the Hokage the night before and learned of the boy's unstable condition after hearing the news of his mother's execution. In fact, Ino was to be given the mission to keep an eye on Takeshi at all times to ensure he stayed calm. "Yamanaka Ino," Iruka started, startling the girl, "Muto Takeshi," she quickly calmed, mouthing a 'thank you' to her teacher, "and Yoroi Mikoto. Your Jounin-sensei will be…" He stared at the name, desperately hoping he hadn't made a mistake assigning her, "Mitarashi Anko…" Thus, Iruka read off the rest of the teams. Quickly taking his leave, he headed towards the baths to allow him time to think.

X00000X

"It'll be ok," Ino continued to whisper into his ear, trying to get him calm again. She silently cursed Iruka under her breath. She'd finally gotten the boy to calm down a bit, and then he brought up the old man. Ino could feel the condensed hatred swirling in her best friend's body. "Just relax… I'll always be here, ok? When we get home, we can go out to the bathhouse in the back yard. You'd like that, right Shi-kun?" The platinum blonde blushed, "You… You'd like seeing me in only a towel, wouldn't you? I've noticed you looking at me." Takeshi's trembling began to fade, and Ino noticed that he had a light blush on his cheeks. _Right, if I distract him with other emotions, I can keep him from getting upset._ "Then later, you can play me a song, ok? It's been a long time since you did that…" It seemed like Takeshi was calm enough to let Ino stop touching him, and she took her seat by him.

"Please…" Takeshi whispered, uttering his first calm words since he'd heard the news, "Please don't leave me, Ino-chan…" She looked over at his face, seeing tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I'll never leave you," she held him close to her, "I'll always be with you. I promise."

X00000X

**Flashback**

_Takeshi began shaking as the old man in his house sat him down on the couch. This probably wasn't a good thing. The old Hokage looked at him sympathetically. No, it was pity. There was pity in the Sandime's eyes._

_ "__Your mother is no longer here," he said simply, stunning both Takeshi and Ino, "Let me explain from the beginning. Takeshi-kun, do you remember when you were given the Hyuuga eye?"_

_ "__Yeah," the white haired boy responded, "My mom made some sort of deal with Haishi-sama. She wouldn't tell me what it was, though."_

_ "__It was a marriage agreement," the Hokage cleared up, "It was made so that you would marry the heiress of the Hyuuga clan when the time came. Now I'm not certain of all the details, but the contract was broken last night under the guise of infidelity." He paused, letting the words sink in. "Would you two happen to know why that was the case?"_

_ "__What's this got to do with my mom old man!?" Takeshi suddenly stood, his eyes turning yellow, "Where is she!?"_

_ "__We kissed," Ino stated calmly, "He rescued me from trouble and I kissed him as thanks." The old Sarutobi's face paled. "It was only as thanks, nothing more."_

_ "__It matters not what it was for," he replied, choosing his words carefully, "It still counts within the boundaries of infidelity, and this judgment must be taken… Haishi demanded death on account you could not prove it was a mistake due to your absence..." Takeshi paled. Ino quickly stood, resting her hands on Takeshi's shuddering shoulders._

_ "__N-No…" the boy trembled, "W-Where's my mom? TELL ME! WHERE'S MY MOTHER!?" Hiruzen decided he'd tortured the boy enough._

_ "__Her body… Her body is in the back yard undergoing final rites," he said, "If you wish to see her-"_

_ "__YOU BASTARD!" Takeshi roared, his body releasing a shockwave that sent the furniture in the home crashing against the walls. "YOU KILLED HER! I'LL DEMOLISH YOU BITCH!" The Muto's hair began to change to black, and his eyes glowed a deep red. A chakra sphere formed around him, but unlike the light blue it usually was, it was a crimson, bloody red. "I'LL KILL YOU!" Rushing at the old man, Takeshi managed to land a hit, draining the Hokage's chakra. "DIE. YOU. DAMN. OLD. MAN!" Takeshi punched with each word, draining more and more chakra from Hiruzen. Then he stopped. Hiruzen took a moment to recover, and stared at the boy, wondering why he'd stopped. He noticed Ino's slumped form and smiled._

_ "__I don't know how long I can keep him," the girl spoke through Takeshi, "It's hurting just to hold him back… What happened to him…? He's usually so calm!"_

_ "__Ino-chan," Hiruzen spoke quickly and sternly, "What's happened is Takeshi has awoken a form only a Muto can control, but it consists of hatred alone. He needs someone to care for him to control it. Ino Yamanaka-san, can you do that? Yuki-san left it to me, but it seems that Takeshi-kun won't let me get near. Can I trust you to-"_

_ "__Yes," the girl responded immediately, "Now go, Hokage-sama. I can't hold him anymore!" With that Hiruzen shunshined away from the house, making haste to his office._

_ "__I need to find more about how to contain his rage," he spoke to himself, "If I can't, I'll have to kill him because he can't be controlled…" Back at the house, Ino released the boy from her mind transfer, weakly watching on as he unleashed the absorbed chakra into the air, damaging the house._

_ "__WHERE DID THAT FUCKER GO!?" he roared, "I'LL KILL HIM!" He found himself being embraced from behind, taking him off guard._

_ "__Shi-kun…" Ino whispered into his ear, "Please come back to me… Please calm down…" She hugged him tighter, watching his hair return to a snowy white, "I want my Shi-kun back… Please…" Exhausted, Takeshi collapsed, laying on the floor in a tired stupor. Ino smiled softly, petting his head and lying on the ground with him, holding him from behind. "I'll always be with you… Shi-kun…"_

X00000X

"Yo!" Ino opened her eyes to see a woman standing at the front of class. She seemed to have short, purple hair and an impish face, almost reminding her of Naruto. The woman was wearing fishnets with what seemed like nothing underneath, and a tan trenchcoat and shorts. "Team 6, where ya at?" Ino stood alongside Takeshi, watching as another girl across the room stood.

The other girl who stood had sea blue, short, messy hair that at the same time looked well groomed. She was definitely a little shorter than Ino, and wore a white coat and long white pants. She also had creamy, white skin and from what Ino could see, caramel colored eyes. She looked back and waved at the two, gaining a wave from Ino.

"Oi, meet me in front of training ground fourty-four in ten minutes," the woman smirked, "I'm your jounin-sensei, Mitarashi Anko." With that, the woman dashed towards the window, diving out, breaking the glass. Ino stared dubiously at the broken window, wondering if their sensei was insane. Ino looked over at Takeshi and took his hand, smiling when he looked over at her in surprise.

"Let's go," she said, leading them out of the room. Mikoto followed behind them, though at a slower pace. Takeshi remained silent throughout the travel. It wasn't like him. Normally, the boy would be excited, having finally become a Leaf Shinobi, but all Ino saw in his eyes was pain. _He lost someone close to him before he even became a ninja_, she found herself thinking, _Someone who'd pushed him to become strong and would celebrate this kind of thing…_ They made it to the designated training ground in five minutes. Mikoto arrived hardly three minutes later, looking a bit dejected.

"Maa, maa, you guys seriously left me behind!" the girl complained, "You guys are so fast!" Ino gave the girl a pleasant smile before glancing back at Takeshi. He seemed a lot calmer, almost normal. But he still had a somber look.

_She didn't even get a public funeral… _Ino frowned, _Just another name on the obituaries page that my daddy reads…_ She looked at the place in front of them. 'Danger' a sign said, 'do not enter'. The training ground was a thick forest, and was gated off. Ino wondered why they'd been brought there. It wasn't long before Anko flew in on a rope from the forest, a bag pinned to the side of her trenchcoat. She smirked, landing perfectly.

"Hey, you brats made it!" she insulted them cheerfully. She gave them all a wide grin that almost seemed innocent. Almost. "Alrighty! Textbook introductions. Your name, likes, dislikes, hopes and dreams! Go!" There was an uncomfortable silence, resulting in a scowl from the Jounin. "Brats. Fine, I'll go first. Yo, my name's Mitarashi Anko! I like dango, snakes, torturing small genin, torturing young chuunin, torturing other jounin, and most of all DANGO!" She paused to take in her student's expressions. Fear from the blue haired girl, disgust from the blondie, and disinterest from the boy. Great! "I don't like little brats who think they're all that cause they made genin, and I don't like… Well, that one's personal. I dream of killing my sensei and bathing in his blood!" She pointed at the blue haired girl. "You! You're next!"

"A-Ah!" the girl trembled a little. She spoke with a shaky voice and almost sounded like a boy going through puberty, "M-My name is Yoroi Mikoto! I like adventure, my dad, different foods and travelling! I don't like people who have a lot of secrets and I don't like mean people. I hope to go and lots of adventures and be a super good kunoichi!" Anko hid a smirk. _Looks like this kid will be interesting. She looks weak, but maybe she has a hidden skill._

"You!" Anko pointed to Ino, "Blondie, you're up!" Ino winced, frowning. She was NOT liking their sensei.

"I'm Yamanaka Ino, and I like flowers, decorating and being with my friends. I don't like weird people or people who make Shi-kun sad." With that, she flashed a warning glare towards Anko. "I dream one day to get married and raise a loving family." She looked at her friend. "It's your turn, Shi-kun…" The boy simply glanced at her, then at Mikoto, then at Anko.

"My name is Muto Takeshi…" he growled, his eye starting to twitch. Almost immediately, Ino took his arm and gave him a reassuring look. The twitching ceased. "I like… I like music and… I like Ino-chan for being my friend and looking out for me…" He paused, his body starting to shake. Anko frowned, feeling a massive spike of killing intent radiating from the boy, even more than she could generate. _Holy crap, the old man wasn't kidding when he said the guy was unstable! I better keep an eye on him or someone might actually get hurt!_ She noticed Ino hugging the boy from behind, whispering into his ear. After a few seconds the killing intent died down, but there was still a little bit left. "I loved my mom… I HATE the Hokage, and I hate the Hyuuga. My dream is to restore my clan and take my revenge on those traitorous FUCKING BASTARDS! I'LL KILL THEM!" The killing intent spiked up again, making Mikoto whimper in fear and back away from the boy. Anko did her best to stay calm. She walked over to the boy and slapped him. It had the desired effect.

Shocked, the aura disappeared completely as Takeshi tried to comprehend what had just happened. He looked at Anko with disbelief.

"I'm not gonna let you get away with losing your cool, brat," Anko warned him. "I'm not going to coddle you like Kakashi-baka will inevitably do to the little Uchiha brat. You're my STUDENT. Got it? If you fly off the handle, I'm gonna end your career as a shinobi. Now try it again, what's your DREAM?" Takeshi seemed to recover quickly, looking down in shame.

"My dream…" he sighed. "My dream was to help my mother restore the Muto clan… It still is…" He sat on the ground. Ino smiled at the boy softly and sat next to him. _Maybe this team could use some Anko touch_, the Snake Mistress thought to herself. _Especially the boy. If I want him to work with the others, I gotta get rid of that temper._

"Alrighty, guess you're ready to take the OFFICIAL genin test!" Anko smiled again, keeping up the façade. Ino seemed to want to speak up, but Anko intercepted her. "Yeah, yeah, you think that because you passed the academy you're all official ninja. BZZZZT! Wrong! You brats gotta pass the test made by your jounin-sensei. Unfortunately for you brats, that's me! Little warning, only one-third of each year's academy students make the cut!" Anko smirked as she saw realization set into her student's minds. "Now then, where to start…" She snapped her fingers as her eyes lit up in sadistic excitement. "I got it! You three are going to be living in there for one night." She pointed behind her into the forest. "It's called the Forest of Doom! Any idea why?" Mikoto looked excited.

"Uwaaaa! My dad used to take me in there all the time!" she smiled, "He said it was the deadliest place in Konohagakure!" Ino felt a bead of sweat trickle down the back of her head. Mikoto looked at both Ino and Takeshi, seemingly having forgotten about the killer aura he'd given off previously. "I bet you guys can do really cool stuff!"

_Is that even related to the test we have to take?_ Ino asked herself. She looked at Anko. "Anko-sensei, when do we start?" The woman grinned evily. "Oh no…" she whispered to herself.

"You brats gotta make it till noon tomorrow in there," Anko suddenly disappeared, reappearing behind them. She started pushing them towards the dreaded training ground. "As a little bonus, at night I become your enemy! How about that, huh?" She glanced at Takeshi, who had a confident look on his face. It reminded her of the Uzumaki kid. It reminded her of a mask. "So after the sun goes down, if you see me, don't expect any mercy!" With a hard shove, the woman forced the three genin into the training ground and closed the gate behind them. Ino took a careful glance at Takeshi and smiled. He seemed back to normal. Then she saw that his hands were shaking. So, he was pretending. Whatever, as long as he could keep it up, everything would be alright.

"We should find some water, first," Mikoto spoke up, smiling. She didn't seem phased in the least. "Although camp should be a good distance away from the source."

"How do you know this?" Takeshi asked, his serious tone not quite matching his smile. It made both girls shiver, though Mikoto recovered almost instantly.

"Since we don't know the wildlife here, anywhere close to the water is dangerous," Mikoto continued talking as if nothing had happened. She smiled and started walking into the forest, having her teammates follow with a little hesitation. "If I remember right, there's a river to the north somewhere. If we keep walking straight, we'll run into it."

"Did… Did she just ignore me…?" Takeshi wondered aloud. "She's very odd…" Ino smiled, watching all of the signs of her normal Takeshi return. The trio heard growling further in the forest. Ino wasn't sure if they would live through the night.

X00000X

A/N:

I know this is really short, but I was hard pressed to keep writing. I'll do another chapter before I probably swap back over to Aincrad's Madman. I have a basic plot for this planned out. Oh right, if you can guess what game Mikoto is from, I'll give you a cookie and an honorable mention!


	6. Chapter 5: Takeshi's Test

KaiSenpai doesn't own Naruto because he isn't my darling Sasuke-kun! Cha!

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**KaiSenpai: Fuck… The hell am I gonna do next?**

**(Naruto bursts in)**

**Naruto: I got a bone to pick with you, 'ttebayo!**

**KaiSenpai: Eh? What's up?**

**Naruto: You know it! I've been on the back burner this entire time!**

**KaiSenpai: Hey, it's not my fault that Takeshi needs to grow a little bit. Besides, you'll get your chance.**

**Naruto: Oh yeah? When!?**

**KaiSenpai: Kekeke The Wave Arc.**

**Naruto: NOOOOOOOOOOO!**

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Takeshi's Test

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Hiruzen sat at the head of the table, watching over the Council. Anko had requested this meeting just before meeting her students, and it seemed she was the last to arrive. The civilian members were talking amongst themselves, whilst the shinobi members simply waited in silence. Danzo sat across from the old Kage, his visible eye shut in what seemed like meditation. Several ANBU lined the walls around the oval-esque table, in case something happened.

"Sorry I'm late bitches!" Anko burst into the room from the doors behind Danzo, effectively shocking the man, "Sent the little brats on their little exam and I don't expect them to finish for a while." She looked over the room and smirked. Hiruzen was fond of the girl. Though most of Konoha, especially among the civilians, disliked her, she was loyal and quite strong. That was all a ninja really needed the old man figured.

_Still, with all of her quirks, she's yet to settle down with someone,_ the old man reminded himself. He stood before the Council as Anko walked around to stand beside him. "This meeting is to determine the professional fate of Muto Takeshi, as brought up by Mitarashi Anko. I would like to add that because this is shinobi business, the Civilian Council will have no voting power, but retain the right to voice their opinions."

"What, we don't have the right to determine what happens in the village?" one disgruntled man complained. Hiruzen sighed and rested his hands on the table.

"You do, but because this is a topic in which you are ill informed, we cannot completely trust your judgment," the Hokage countered. "Now, Anko-san, you may explain." The purple haired woman took a step forward, her wide grin becoming serious. Her gaze passed over the faces of the Council, pausing on Hiashi before moving on. There was silence in the Council room.

"It's come to my attention from a little birdy that Muto Takeshi has been made an orphan, and is the last of his clan," she said. A few gasps rang out from the Shinobi Council, and appalled looks came from the Civilian Council. Hiruzen found an interest in his shoes as he sunk down into his chair. "His mother was mur- _executed_ two nights ago due to the young boy breaking a marriage contract, with her taking his punishment. Mind you, it was merely because he'd received a kiss from some girl as thanks for rescuing her." She glared at the Hyuuga, but continued her rant, "Hokage-sama warned me about his… lack of self control on learning this. I asked for this meeting before meeting the boy to report my findings."

"How can we trust you, snake bitch?" another of the Civilian Council members yelled, standing. Another, a woman, did the same.

"Yeah, how can we know you aren't trying to manipulate us somehow?" she agreed. Hiruzen glared at them both until they sat back down.

"I assure you that Muto-kun's mental condition was less than stable upon hearing the news," the Kage spoke solemnly. He didn't dare mention that the boy wanted him dead. That would just cause even more trouble. Besides, he'd promised Yuki that he'd take care of her son. Having met Naruto and seeing how the boy acted about promises, he'd taken up the little ideal of always fulfilling a promise. The old man gave Anko a glance. "Please report, Mitarashi-san." The woman took a deep breath.

"When I first saw Takeshi-kun, he didn't look like much," she admitted. Though she was in a professional environment, she wanted to get what she saw off of her chest. "But when I looked into his eyes, I saw unbridled hatred. Even more than I've seen in Uchiha-san." A few of the civilians tried to protest that Sasuke would never hold hatred, but they were quickly silenced. "From what I saw in the classroom, it was Yamanaka Ino's efforts alone that kept him calm. She was whispering into his ear and rubbing his shoulders." Inoichi visibly flinched. It was well known among his fellow Council members that he disliked his daughter being near any boy. "I thought he'd be fine with her around, but… When I went through procedural introductions before training, he snapped." The whole room was silent from worry. The Muto clan had enough power to rival both the Hyuuga and the Uchiha, even in name. Even Tsunade hadn't dared to try and aggravate a Muto when she was around. "The killer intent I felt… It felt like a demon's… I remember the Kyuubi's aura very well. It was similar. I felt like I wanted to curl up and die…"

"It seems like the boy is a threat to not only the village, but the entire nation," Danzo spoke up. His eye seemed to gleam. "With the right training-"

"I won't allow you to take him into Root, Danzo," Hiruzen intercepted, "Takeshi-san will be raised as an average shinobi, regardless of power or clan."

Utatane Koharu decided to take that moment to speak up, "Speaking of power, Hokage-sama, we currently have two powerful clans with viable heirs. Both of them geniuses of their time. How do you intend to restore them? Certainly the Clan Restoration Act-"

"I will not force either of them into such a corner," Hiruzen growled, "They will be informed of it. If they decide to take upon themselves multiple wives, so be it. But it will not be forced. Do I make myself clear?" A wave of nods filled the room. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss since we're here?" No one spoke. "The Council meeting is adjourned." Hiruzen grabbed Anko's shoulder before she could leave, letting the Council filter out. "Anko-san, I want you to do something for me."

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"Wow, you really know your stuff, Mikoto-chan!" Ino praised. The blue haired girl laughed a little as she tied the final ends of the make-shift lean-to together. It wasn't big, but it was big enough to fit three or four people. They'd made camp in a clearing just a hundred or so meters from the river. Ino watched as the sun disappeared behind the trees, filling the sky with a beautiful orange and red taint. She then looked over at Takeshi as he threw a few more pieces of wood on the fire. His face was emotionless, but it was far better than the hate she'd seen earlier and the day before. She sighed and went to sit next to him, patting his back. "Are you feeling any better?" There was silence for a good minute as Mikoto sat across from them.

"I'm still going to kill them," Takeshi replied, his voice strained, "But not yet. I need to get stronger." Ino shook her head and sighed. Mikoto didn't seem to be paying them any attention, poking the fire with a stick. After a while, Takeshi stood and headed back into the forest. Mikoto's head shot up.

"E-Eh? Muto-san, you should really stay here!" she warned, standing and starting to walk briskly towards the boy. "It's not safe at night.

"I'll be fine," Takeshi replied, not even looking back. He picked up a large, straight branch they'd found on the way to their spot, draping it over his shoulder like a 5 yard long sword. The two girls simply watched him leave. After a few seconds of him going out of view, Mikoto sat down by the fire again, adjacent to Ino. The girl didn't speak much, as if she were in a completely different world. It didn't bother Ino very much. To be honest, she wasn't sure how to act around Mikoto.

"The animals here are really, really dangerous," the blue haired girl spoke up. It wasn't making the platinum blonde feel any better. "A lot of them use venom, and some of the plants can eat you, too." Even though she was talking, Mikoto seemed to be staring into space. "Some of them even can grow as tall as a house."

"Please don't talk about that, Mikoto-can," Ino tried. Mikoto wasn't even phased.

"I hear there are tigers in the forest, too," the third member of the team continued to ramble as if Ino hadn't said a thing. "My dad said they used to be pets until the owners let them go. They got to vicious so instead of killing them, they released them here." Suddenly her face seemed to fill with shock, "Do you think they'd be nice to pet?" Ino felt a bead of sweat slip down the back of her neck, not really sure how to make heads or tails of her teammate. But then Mikoto said something that made Ino smile. "He's a nice person."

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Takeshi sat against the tree, lantern beside him. In his hands he held a scroll he'd found in his mother's room during one of his calm periods earlier before he and Ino had left the house. He stared at it. It was written by his mom. But the words he dreaded most were written underneath her name. _Final Will and Testament_. He stared at it, debating whether or not to open it. Taking a deep breath, Takeshi unraveled the scroll and read it. As his eyes skimmed through the text, he found nothing particularly odd. It said that everything was left to Takeshi, including the entirety of the clan savings. However, something at the end caught his eye. The will directly told whomever reading it to give it to Takeshi. On the bottom of the scroll was a seal that his mom had used to store things around the house. It had an arrow pointing towards it saying 'release chakra here'. Curious, the boy placed his hand over the seal and did what he'd always seen his mother do. "Kai." He spoke. The seal glowed blue, and yet another scroll emerged from it.

"The hell…?" he whispered to himself, looking around in case anyone might be spying on him. He placed the will down and opened the second scroll. His eyes widened. _This is…_ he marveled, _These are the family techniques… But… There are all basic…_ Takeshi's eyes skimmed through to the bottom. There wasn't anything here that his mother hadn't taught him. _**Hozaku**__… __**Firestorm**__… These are all simple jutsu!_ Takeshi noticed something at the bottom, however. Two seals with titles above them: _**Kyoton**_(_Boundary Release_) and _**Uchiton**_ (_Shatter Release_) respectively. Underneath was a note.

'To that who wishes a greater power,' it said, 'The two great forms of the Muto Clan lay within your grasp. _**Kyoton**_, that which allows greater spiritual strength, and _**Uchiton**_, that which grants greater mortal power. Use it wisely and bring honor to the Muto Clan.' Takeshi pumped some chakra into the first seal for _**Kyoton**_, receiving a scroll from it. He did the same for _**Uchiton**_. Seeing the sky beginning to darken, Takeshi started back towards camp, scrolls tucked away into his clothing and lantern and large branch in hand.

_I can grow stronger_, he thought to himself, feeling a smile cross his face, _When I do, I can kill Sandaime Hokage_. Off in the distance, he could see the campfire with his two teammates huddled around it. He smiled gently, feeling a little peace from knowing that Ino would always be there. At first, he hadn't believed her. He'd let out so much hatred that he was afraid she'd leave him out of fear. But now, he was confident she'd stay. After all, if she wanted to leave, wouldn't she have by now?

Takeshi waved to his teammates as he entered the clearing. "I'm back. Anything change?" Ino shook her head, standing up beside him. "I figure Anko-sensei will be here to attack us. We should take watches just in case. I'll take first watch. You two can sleep."

"Are you sure, Shi-chan?" Ino asked.

"I can stay up late, I've done it tones of times before," Mikoto stood up as well, "Besides, you both don't know how what creatures live around here."

"I'm perfectly capable, Yoroi-san," Takeshi replied, gently pushing the two girls towards their makeshift shelter. "I'll be fine. Get your rest. Please." He gave Ino a soft smile, making her blush a little bit.

_He looks a lot better than he did before_, she thought to herself, _Maybe he just needed time._ She laid down under the shelter, watching the fire. Takeshi sat with his back towards them, pulling a scroll from his pockets and reading. Ino watched the boy for a few minutes before drifting off to sleep.

Takeshi stared at the scroll, reading out the list of jutsu before him. He'd decided to look at the _**Kyoton**_ first. It seemed there was a prerequisite jutsu he had to perform before he could use any of the others on the list. The scroll explained that Muto chakra coils were fairly large, but were unable to commit to more than one of the fighting styles at once. If he were to use the _**Kyoton's **_power, he couldn't use the _**Uchiton's**_ power at the same time. He'd have to switch between the two.

The _**Kyoton**_ scroll also explained how Muto have a natural affinity for water and lightning natured chakra, which was what most of the scroll was. Takeshi took the first three jutsu to heart, including the activation jutsu. _Tatsu, ushi, tora,_ he repeated in his mind. _Seems simple enough_. He stood and walked off from the camp a little bit, but kept the campfire and his teammates in sight. He did the three hand seals. "_**Kyoton!**_" He felt a tug in his gut, then more power surge through him. It was an odd feeling, but strangely comforting. His hands were tingling, though. He looked down at them, finding that his left hand was glowing yellow, and his right was glowing blue. "Well… Can't say I ever saw mom do this…" He sighed and tucked away the scroll. "It's so dull with no one to talk to…" He felt a sharp sting on his left cheek, making him flinch. Two arms wrapped around him, and he felt something licking the blood from his sliced cheek.

"You know, you could always talk to me," the owner of the tongue he assumed, spoke. The person backed away, and Takeshi faced her.

"Anko-sensei," he spoke in a deadpan, hoping to hide any shaking in his voice. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd show up." The woman laughed, sticking her tongue out while twirling a kunai around her index finger.

"So, ready for your test," the alleged Snake Mistress taunted, "I was gonna attack you all at once, but a little birdy said it would be better to measure individual skills. Not that any of you have skills, mind you." Takeshi's right eye twitched in annoyance. How dare this woman mock him without knowing what he was capable of!

"_**Byakugan**_!" he growled, activating his pale, right eye. "I'll crush you! _**Hozaku**_!" A sphere of pure, purple chakra surrounded the boy. He dashed forward, determined to put his sensei in her place. He let loose a punch at the unmoving target, only to hit open air. "W-Wha?" There was a sharp jab at his back, making him stumble forward. He turned to find Anko yawning, her hands in her pockets.

"Jeez, for a Muto you're pretty weak," she taunted, "Even Yuki-chan could overtake Hiashi-san at your age. How'd she have such a wimpy kid?" Takeshi growled, cursing under his breath. He'd never used the _**Byakugan**_ in combat, and it was disorienting him. He glared at the woman, deciding to use the new technique he'd learned.

"_**Kyoton!**_" he shouted, feeling his hands surge with power once again. Quickly, he strung three hand seals. "_**Raiton: Thunder Shot**_!" he exclaimed, pushing his hands out, releasing a ball of electric chakra in a fast, straight line in front of him at the woman. Her eyes widened before she leapt away, narrowly missing the attack. Takeshi, however, was ready. He strung together seven hand signs, smirking all the while. "I'll get you with this! _**Suiton: Hidden Mist Technique**_!" He brought his left index and middle finger to his mouth, blowing out mist that would encompass the surrounding area.

"Fuck!" he heard Anko curse to his left. "The fuck did you go, brat!?" The Snake Mistress of Konoha was pissed. There was no way to get clear of the mist, and she had to use all of her senses just to try and get a lock on him. Not to mention that it was completely dark out since the sun had gone down about a half hour ago. "Damn, this brat's better than I'd expected…"

"_**Raiton: Thunder Shot**_!" she heard to her right. Instead of an electrical ball heading towards her, she felt tingly all of a sudden. _Fuck!_ She quickly leapt away from the source, managing to break free of the mist. The inside of the mist flashed with electricity. If she'd have been caught in any of that, then she'd be fried. _Damn, he's better than I thought. Where the hell did he learn those jutsu?_ She could see yellow and blue glowing from the mist, and figured that was him. "_**Hozaku**_!" the glow immediately disappeared. She heard something break from the fog and quickly moved away, leaping into the tree branches. Right where she'd been standing, Takeshi stood with his purple chakra sphere, arm stretched out in front of him. She'd barely gotten out of the way of his punch. _I need to end this quickly. I'll test the rest of them tomorrow._ She strung together a few hand seals desperately.

"_**Katon: Dragon Fire Technique**_!" she held the one handed seal to her face, blowing out a cord of fire at the boy. Once it reached him, it expanded and overtook him. She waited a moment to make sure the boy was hit. When the fire cleared, she saw the boy lying unconscious on the ground, a bit scorched. "Damn, brat. You really pulled me through the ropes. I seriously underestimated you." She nodded in approval as she took off for the night. "Looks like I'll have to take you seriously next time. Maybe I'll treat you to some dango." She chuckled and sped off to the Hokage's Mansion to report her findings.

X00000X

_Ino dreamt of her childhood. She'd been having these dreams for about a week, but she didn't know why. But she'd relived some nice memories because of it. The night before, she'd dreamt of the first day she met Takeshi. But tonight, there was an odd scene. In front of her stood the five year old versions of both her and Takeshi. They were at the playground in the sandbox. While Takeshi dug in gleefully, young Ino sat at the edge, not quite interested in the sand._

_ "But it'll get all over me!" Ino complained. Takeshi smiled and poked her forehead. "Hey! Don't poke me!"_

_ "But you look really cute when you're dirty!" he argued, making Ino blush. The girl dreaming knew what was about to happen. It was something that had changed a lot of lives. "Hey Ino-chan, who's that?" Takeshi pointed behind her at a young, blonde boy alone on the swings. A lot of the other kids were steering clear of him. "He looks lonely. Let's have him play with us!"_

_ "My mommy says we shouldn't go near him," Ino replied. She'd seen the boy quite a few times when she and her mom went out grocery shopping. "She says he's a bad person." Takeshi frowned and shook his head. He stood, walking over to the blonde kid._

_ "Hey kid!" Takeshi shouted. The blonde simply ignored him, "Blondie! Over here!" The young boy looked over with a confused expression. Takeshi continued to walk over to him. "What's your name? I'm Muto Takeshi!" There was a stiff silence while Ino brushed herself off and walked over beside Takeshi. She gazed at the little runt disapprovingly._

_ "I'm Naruto…" the boy responded, a fearfully looking at Ino. For a second, she wasn't sure why he was giving her that look. She hadn't ever talked to him. Then she remembered that this was the kid that Sakura would play with. She'd made fun of him along with Sakura._

_ "Ugh, can't we leave, Shi-kun?" Ino tried to keep her friend away from the brat. He was nothing but trouble. "He's just a little troublemaker."_

_ "Nice to meet you Naruto-san!" Takeshi ignored Ino, offering his hand for a handshake. Naruto flinched, shielding himself with his arms. Takeshi cocked his head, confused. "Hey, it's a handshake. You ok, Naruto-san?" The boy looked up at him and carefully reached out, grasping Takeshi's hand. "Great! Come and play with Ino-chan and me! We'll be friends!"_

X00000X

A/N:

Sorry it isn't quite finished. I've had a few exams and not much time to write. I'll be working on Aincrad's Madman next, and try to alternate between the two stories. I'm also gonna fix up all the typos with Hiashi's name I made. I originally had him as a villain, but I think I might fix that… Ciao!


	7. Chapter 6: Gaining Momentum

KaiSenpai does not own Naruto, but I truly believe that in this ninja world he might just find a universe that he does.

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**KaiSenpai: Piss… That last chapter really was a pain in the ass… I really need to step up my game.**

**Jiraiya: From one writer to another, I have a few suggestions.**

**KaiSenpai: It doesn't involve sex, right? We're going with your first book?**

**Jiraiya: Listen here you little brat, the Icha Icha series is a work of true art! My finest creations!**

**KaiSenpai: Ri~ight… Um, no. I really need something good. Even I'm getting a little bored writing this. Could be my ADHD though…**

**Jiraiya: Fear not! The great and succulent Jiraiya, legendary sage and summoner of toads, has come to solve all that ails you! And I know just how to do it!**

**KaiSenpai: Again, not following your lousy porno books.**

**Jiraiya: C'mon, brat, set it up.**

**KaiSenpai: Hell no! It's stupid and overused!**

**Jiraiya: Please, kid? It's so boring in the waiting room! Let me have this one moment of glory before you start writing about me!**

**KaiSenpai: Fuck… Fine… I'm not going to take writing advice from a pervert…**

**Jiraiya: You take that back, you little snot nosed brat! I'm not a pervert!**

**KaiSenpai: I'm sorry, readers…**

**Jiraiya: I'm a SUPER pervert! Hahaha!**

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Gaining Momentum

X00000X

Anko watched from afar as Mikoto woke up Takeshi and Ino. She'd pretty much left the paranoid group alone for the rest of the night. It was now about seven in the morning, and she couldn't wait to test them for real. It was funny how easy it was to set everything up. She'd returned after her fight with Takeshi to give him 'information'. She'd said that she was giving one of the others a secret word that would automatically pass them, but they'd have to beat it out of them. Of course, she said that if he didn't get the secret word, he'd be forced to become a civilian permanently. Then, she'd wait until they changed watches, and repeated the information to the other two. It was her own little twist on Kakashi's cute little bell test. Even from her hiding place in the trees, she could see the glares that the three gave each other. Perfect…

X00000X

"So guys," Ino tried to be as nonchalant as possible, "Do you have any _words_ of wisdom about the test?" Her gaze shifted between Takeshi and Mikoto.

"Not that I wouldn't _share_ with the rest of the group," the boy grumbled, finishing his breakfast of fish caught in the stream nearby. "Mikoto-san, how about you?"

"A-A-A-Ah…" the blue haired girl stuttered under the leers of her teammates, "I need to be a ninja!" She snapped, lunging at Ino. Taken by surprise, the blonde tumbled to the ground along with her teammate. Takeshi growled, standing up. "I'll get that password out of you if it's the last thing I do! _**Hozaku**_!" Takeshi charged in. All bets were off. Ino tried desperately to get back on her feet. She was having luck, as Mikoto barely had any muscle and was using only the basics of the Academy taijutsu training, but at soon ad Takeshi lunged in, they were all down on the ground again.

"Give me the password!" Mikoto yelled, "I need to be a ninja!"

"Oh yeah? Well I need to be a shinobi too!" Takeshi hissed, aiming a chakra draining punch at the girl. She ducked, hoping to strike him in the ribs.

"Shut up both of you! I need to be a kunoichi so my daddy can be proud of me! Give me the password!" Ino tried her best to hit Mikoto while avoiding Takeshi's attacks, but she could feel her chakra being drained by just being in his circle.

"Give it!"

"No, I need the password!"

"I need it more! Shut up tell us!"

"GRRRR, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!" Takeshi roared. His chakra sphere disappeared as his fist reared up. Ino immediately knew what was about to happen. She spotted a headband, which had likely fallen off during the scuffle. She quickly picked it up and raise it in defense as Takeshi punched, not really aiming. All he wanted was to scare the password out of his teammates. However, his fist came into contact with the headband, effectively denting it in the shape of his fist. He stared at the damage, taken aback. Ino stared at the mark from the other side, realizing that she would be dead if she'd been hit. "Ino-chan…" Takeshi's fist shook. A sorrowful expression filled his face. "I'm so sorry…"

Ino was in shock. He'd almost killed her to be a genin. Her best friend had almost killed her. "Shi-kun…?" she whispered, looking into his eyes. Regret was what she saw. It made her feel a lot better. At least he hadn't wanted to kill her. "It's… It's ok…" She ran forward and hugged the boy. "It's alright… I'm still here… I'll always be here…"

"Uwaaa, don't I get a hug too?" Mikoto chimed in to her right. Ino rolled her eyes, smiling and reaching over to drag the girl into their hug. They stayed in their embrace for a few moments before parting.

"Seriously though, who's got the password?" Takeshi crossed his arms, his expression serious.

"Well, maybe there isn't one," Ino suggested, "You know, we haven't seen Anko-sensei very much. I'm guessing she visited both of you and told us all the same thing. Maybe that was the test all along." Mikoto nodded in agreement, then a confused look appeared on her face.

"So… what's the password then?" she asked. Ino sighed and shook her head. Slow clapping could be heard then from the bushes, drawing their attention.

"Great job, brats!" the newly revealed Anko congratulated. "For a second there I thought you'd fuck it up entirely!"

"Anko-sensei, what was this all about?" Ino asked, still curious about the test. "I think I get the basis, but can you explain it to us?" The woman paused, smirking.

"Well, I guess it would be ideal to tell you since you all pass on a technicality," she replied. Cheers erupted from her little squad. "The exercise was to test your trust in one another. A teammate who can't trust their teammates are pathetic in the field." Her smile faltered for a moment, "So I set you guys up against one another to see if you'd believe one another on not having my 'secret word'. Took you a while, but you got it pretty much." She shrugged. "Alrighty, brats. You guys report to the Northern Gate at eight tomorrow. That's when you get your first mission. Bye!" With that, she left them.

"Can you believe it? We're really ninja!" Mikoto squealed. Takeshi smiled, his hands in his pockets. Ino, however, seemed deep in thought.

"What is it, Ino-chan?" Takeshi asked. The blonde's expression turned to anger.

Ino screamed, "That bitch just left us here in the Forest of Death!"

X00000X

"Uzumaki-san," the man greeted, bowing as a formality.

"Hiashi-sama," Naruto bowed in reply. He gazed past the man into the other room, where he could see Hinata training with someone.

"I must admit, you took me by surprise by coming here," Hiashi stated, looking down on the young boy. "I see you've managed to pass your sensei's exam due to your headband. Though why are you not with your teammates, celebrating?" It was a rare day to see the Hyuuga's head speak even the slightest bit informal, but Naruto had been a family friend for years. He gave formality a bit of leniency for the boy.

"They, uh… they didn't want to go out to eat with me," Naruto looked to the ground, sighing. "I could ask the same about Hinata-chan! Why isn't she with her teammates?"

"I requested for her to train, today," was the reply, "However, I'd be willing to accept if she were to go with you." Hiashi smiled at the boy in front of him. If the Muto would not marry his daughter, then the boy who had saved her would be a wonderful second choice. Naruto quickly bowed to the man and ran past him towards Hinata. Those two would make a good couple. Hiashi secretly wondered, however, if Naruto had any other friends. He hadn't seen anyone else with the young blonde boy since he'd come into their lives. Shrugging, Hiashi decided to leave it for another day.

X00000X

"You're late," Hiruzen sighed, noticing the silver haired Jounin shunshin into his office. "By an hour. My goodness, Hatake-san, you seem to be getting earlier in your arrivals." The masked Cyclops smiled with his visible eye.

"Oh? Perhaps I should pay more attention to the time," he retorted. "I'll be sure to come in later, Hokage-sama." He stepped further into the room, in line with Asuna to his right, and Kurenai and Anko to his left, respectively. Asuna briefly puffed some smoke into the air before turning to the late man.

"So, fail another team, Kakashi-san?" he chuckled, "What bunch of saps was it this time, the Uchiha kid and that Uzumaki boy? Who was the third one, I can't remember her…"

"Haruno Sakura," Kakashi replied, "Sorry Asuna-san, but you'll have to wait like everyone else." Asuna rolled his eyes, mumbling under his breath. Kakashi turned to Anko and Kurenai. "I see you got stuck with the Walking Oddity, Anko-san. How is that?"

"Yoroi-chan might be a little fucked up," Anko defended her student, "but she's got mad skills on the field! She set up a shelter in minutes, got a fire running in seconds, and made a beeline to water. That kid's a survival nut!"

"Considering her heritage, it isn't unexpected," Kurenai entered the conversation. "The Yoroi clan is known for being quite adept at survival. If not for their… odd nature, they'd be excellent for long-term solo missions." A murmur of agreement echoed through the group of Jounin.

"It's a shame that Sakon-san wasn't chosen to be a Jounin teacher," Asuma chuckled, "His students would surely pass, but have to put up with THAT guy for their entire genin career. He's just as bad as Gai-san." Shivers ran throughout the room. Hiruzen smiled and cleared his throat.

"The time has come to give me your assessment of your teams," he said, "When I call your team's number, please respond with 'Pass' or 'Fail'. Now, Team 1."

"Fail."

"Team 2."

"Fail…"

"Team 3."

"Pass! No, not really. Fail."

"Team 4."

"Fail. Definitely."

"Team 5."

"I swear the Academy's stopped trying. Fail."

"Team 6." All eyes were on Anko. This was her first team, and everyone was fairly certain that she'd fail them. After all, Anko was more of an in the moment type of person, not one to teach very well. Instead, Anko grinned evilly.

"I passed the little brats," she said slowly. Sweat began to trickle down a few of the Jounins' spines. They felt sorry for whatever kids had to stick with her for their genin careers.

"Team 7," Hiruzen continued. The eyes shifted from Anko to Kakashi. Asuma coughed, muttering 'Fail!' under his breath. Kakashi smiled with his eye, hoping he'd made the right choice.

_Flashback_

_ "Hey, sensei," he greeted the onyx obelisk standing before him. It greeted him in return with silence. "I've got another genin team, today. Hard to believe it's been a year since I last told you that." More silence. "Ano… One of them looks like you, but he has a really odd birthmark. He's also the kid you sealed the Kyuubi into. Ironic, huh? I'll be teaching the kid you used to save the village." He paused, thinking of what else to say. "I also have the Uchiha kid. Yeah, Obito-kun, he's probably your cousin or something. Though he acts a lot like I used to. It's cute, but I know that needs to change." He turned to the last name, sighing. "Rin-chan… I also have a girl who's like a satirized version of you. Her name is Haruno Sakura. Damn, I wish you three were here to help me…" He sighed again, placing his hands into his pockets, "I don't think they'll make it. They're dysfunctional, argue a lot, and to be honest, not very smart. I don't think they'll understand the principles our team was founded on…" He tapped the obelisk stone, giving it a sad smile, "I'll see you all again soon. Ja ne."_

_X00000X_

_Kakashi chuckled, waving to the cute little ninja wannabes at the center of training field seven. "Yo!" he greeted enthusiastically. Sasuke grunted in response, but Sakura and Naruto had other plans._

_ "YOU'RE LATE!" they shouted together, pointing accusing fingers at him. Kakashi chuckled and simply waved his hands in front of himself defensively._

_ "Maa, maa, no need to shout," he excused. "I simply got lost. On the road of life." While Naruto seemed to calm down a bit, Sakura was fuming. "Now then, are you kiddies ready for your test?" He'd explained the day before what was going to happen. They would have a test to see whether or not they were really ready to be fully fledged shinobi. What he didn't tell them, however, was that he had no interest in passing them. He raised a pair of bells from one of his pouches. "To pass, all you have to do is grab one of these bells."_

_ "But Kakashi-sensei, there are only two bells," Sakura pointed out. Kakashi sighed. She was hopeless._

_ "Yes, because only two of you will pass," he lied. Outrage sprang from the peanut gallery. "Oi! Shut up brats!" They did. "Now, the two who get bells will become my students and we'll become Team 7. The one who doesn't, will be sent back to the Academy." Though they kids tried to protest again, Kakashi raised his hands to silence them. He placed a clock on one of the three training posts at the center of the clearing. "Alright, come at me with the intent to kill. Ready? Go!"_

_ To be honest, Kakashi wasn't surprised. They failed horribly. Not only did they fail to take the bells, but they hardly even looked at each other. That is, for the first hour. After about an hour of silence after and beloved reading, Kakashi began to worry. They'd started at eight, and they were supposed to finish at noon. He hadn't seen or heard any of them since they'd retreated. Soon after ten, though, Naruto walked out of the woods, smirking._

_ "Oi, Kakashi-sensei!" he shouted. Kakashi looked around. Neither Sasuke nor Sakura were visible. "Whatcha reading?" The Jounin didn't answer, a bit confused. It was obvious that the boy was laying a distraction, but for whom? Could they have figured out the lesson? Didn't they think that he'd send one of them back? It was then that hell broke loose. Sasuke burst into the clearing, using a fire release jutsu straight off the bat. Kakashi just barely got away, but he'd never admit that. He hurried into the foliage, only to find himself tied to a tree. He stared at the wire, leading him to its source. Sakura. The three had actually worked together. And when threatened to be separated, they demanded that they all pass, or they all get sent back. As a TEAM. They passed his test._

X00000X

It was late evening, and Takeshi had completely gone through the first scroll and was working on the second at his house. Ino had gone home to have dinner with her family, and he probably wouldn't see her until the night passed and they were sent on their first mission. Unfortunately for Takeshi's studies, however, _**Uchiton**_ was a lot harder than _**Kyoton**_. It was more physical, and required greater chakra control. It was definitely something he didn't have. One thing he picked up, however, was the _**Kage Bunshin No Jutsu**_. It looked like the jutsu was scribbled in at the last moment, but it was still readable. He'd tried making one clone, and had been surprised when it came packaged with a will of its own. That was starting to become a problem.

"Oi, boss," the clone spoke as he read through the _**Uchiton**_ scroll. "When are you and Ino-chan going to start dating?" The original Takeshi sputtered right before he took a drink of the milk in the fridge. He glared at the clone. "W-What? We both know you like her, and she likes you enough to stick with you! Ask her out!"

"Shut up!" Takeshi growled, putting away the milk, "Get back to studying. My only goal is revenge, got it?" He sighed and grumbled to himself, "Why the hell do Shadow Clones get a personality…? This would be so much easier if you were compliant." He didn't notice that the clone was giving him the bird behind his back before he continued studying the scroll.

"I found something interesting," the clone said after a while. Takeshi walked around the kitchen island counter to enter the living room. He stood behind the couch, peering over his clone's shoulder. "There are a few chakra control exercises here. Do you want me to start working on the leaf one? It's too late in the day to start trying to learn tree climbing.

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea," was the response. Takeshi sighed as his clone went outside to the back yard to practice. He thought for a moment, then held his hands up in front of him in a 'plus' sign, creating two more clones. He felt some of his stamina leave him. "Fuck, that takes more out of me then I'd like…" He sighed and pointed to one clone. "You, go and help the other clone outside." He pointed to the other. "You, help me figure out this part." He pointed to the scroll at another seal at the bottom. There were three hand seals next to it, but it only said _**Kuchiyose no Jutsu**_ with a warning to sign the scroll before attempting.

"It's a summoning technique," the clone said, causing Takeshi to roll his eyes. "Hey, just pump your chakra and see what this scroll is!" Takeshi obliged, grabbing the scroll that appeared from the seal. He opened it on the table, but it rolled out to flop over the edges.

"Hot damn…" Takeshi marveled. He read the instructions at the top, wincing. "Sign with my blood, huh…? Sounds like I'm in for some pain whenever I want to use this…"

"To quote Shikamaru-san, a drag," his clone agreed, "Let's get on with it. The more help we get, the stronger we can become." Takeshi nodded, following the instructions and biting his thumb with his canine teeth, signing the scroll. His name glowed faintly after he finished, before the scroll disappeared in a small burst of fire. Both Takesi and his clone watched in surprise. "Time to see if it worked." Takeshi nodded and went out into the back yard.

The yard was made of the cleared remains of the Muto clan compound. It was extremely large, and had a few open lots in case more buildings were needed. His mother had told him that the buildings used to look like those in the Hyuuga compound. The compound once consisted of multiple, connected buildings creating a square courtyard in the center. A few of them would have multiple stories to them, up to three.

For his practice, however, Takeshi stood out in the middle courtyard. He made the three hand seals in quick succession, then slammed his hand into the ground. A large seal crawled along the ground before he became enveloped in a large puff of smoke. There, in front of him, stood a forty foot long tiger. The tiger had sleek fur and beautiful, white fur. It yawned and laid down on its paws, staring at the boy in front of it. It had deep red stripes, and probably was around forty feet in length, including its tail. Then it spoke with an oddly mature, feminine voice.

"It has been a long time since a child was able to summon me," it spoke. "What is your name, boy? Why has the Muto clan decided to invoke our contract again?" The tiger looked at its surroundings. "Also, where are we?" Takeshi recovered from his shock as the two clones practicing chakra control came to his sides.

"My name is Muto Takeshi, last of the Muto Clan," he announced. The tiger before him raised a curious eye. "The compound has been destroyed, and I did not know that you would be summoned to me. What is your name, tiger-sama?" He heard the beast chuckle.

"Well said, Muto-san," it replied. "My name is Kimi, Empress of the Tiger clan. It is a pleasure to meet you." If tigers could smile, Takeshi was pretty sure that she was. "I suppose I should go over the rules regarding my clan's summoning. For one, we are not instruments, we are partners. Do not expect us to provide free labor. Secondly, because you are the only one alive with our contract, we serve only you. But if you misuse our power, I will personally kill you." Takeshi shuddered, wondering if gaining a summon was really such a good idea. "And thirdly… to seal the contract, you must come with me to the Tiger Clan's home at Mt. Inzei and have dinner with my kin. Do you accept these conditions?" Kimi waited patiently for his answer. He still looked like only a boy, and probably would have some second thoughts.

"I accept," he responded, surprising the tiger. "When should we have dinner?"

"Immediately," Kimi replied, reaching out and touching the boy's head with her claw. "I shall return you after we finish." With a puff of smoke, both Takeshi and the tiger were gone to Mt. Inzei, leaving three very confused clones.

"The hell just happened?" clone one asked, a leaf stuck to his forehead. Clone two, with a similar leaf stuck to his cheek, shook his head.

"I think boss just got a tiger summon and was taken out to dinner," he said. Clone three chuckled and smirked.

"Well, shall we give the boss something to look forward to when he gets home?" he asked the others.

"Like what?"

"One of us asks Into-chan on a date tomorrow after training," clone three suggested, "and when he gets back, boss will know what happened and those two finally get together!"

"That's a great idea!" clone one smiled, "Maybe having a girlfriend will finally cool his ass off. I mean, look at Sasuke-san. He was into all that revenge stuff and now he's doing fine!"

"Yeah, who knew that Naruto-kun had the balls to invite his mortal enemy to dinner with us?" clone two smirked.

"Yeah, yeah," clone three sighed, "We'd better get a move on. I'll ask Ino-chan out and you two keep training, got it?"

"Hai!"

"Operation: Self-Improvement is a go!"

X00000X

A/N:

I'm starting to get a bit off track with this one. I'm trying to decide who should be my main focus. Should I focus on Naruto, or Takeshi? I want to say Takeshi, but gimme your feedback. Also, the couplings are still open for debate, gimme your ideas to improve please!

*Edit: Changed dragons to tigers because I couldn't really fit dragons into the story without making Takeshi waaaay overpowered. Besides, tigers were the original idea I had for him


	8. Chapter 7: Full Schedule

KaiSenpai does not own Naruto, but for the next seventy-two hours, you will watch as he horribly mutilates the storyline.

X00000X

A/N:

I've decided that Kakashi's visits to the monument will be a normal recurring thing. It'll help me place a view outside Takeshi's perspective, and give me an idea of how the other characters see the events unfolding.

X00000X

**KaiSenpai: Alright, time to get serious…**

**Hinata: Ano… Senpai…?**

**KaiSenpai: Hm? What's up Hinata?**

**Hinata: Ah… W-When will I become important to the story…?**

**KaiSenpai: Hm… I think around the Chuunin exams. Naruto's gonna need your support, you know.**

**Hinata: Naruto-kun…? Needing me…?**

**KaiSenpai: Yeah. Sorry, but you don't come in for a little bit.**

**Hinata: Ano… It's alright, Senpai…**

X00000X

Full Schedule

X00000X

Kakashi waved to the monument as he approached it. Underneath his mask, he had a soft smile, but it didn't help the pain that he felt. He simply stared at the black stone, reliving the memories of his team and childhood. It wasn't much of a childhood, but it still was one in his mind. What he wouldn't give to have one like a normal student. Maybe Naruto's or Sakura's. Graduating at the Academy at age five really did a toll on him. He was too young, he now realized. All of the pressures of being a shinobi placed on a five year old. Learning the consequences of death, watching his teammates perish around him. Not that they would understand. After all, how was any normal graduate supposed to understand the mind of a five year old killer? Sighing, he rested a hand on the monument.

"Hey, sensei. Rin. Obito." He greeted. "I have some interesting news. The little genin team assigned to me passed my test." He chuckled, "I have to say, they really pulled it together. Obito, you'd be happy with them." There was a pause as a soft breeze swept passed him. The sun was starting to set. "I… I'm not ready for this burden… Sensei, I now know the fear you had when you had us three assigned to you. I'm afraid I might fail them, like I failed you guys… Any of you would have been much better sensei than me. Obito, you're just naturally positive and uplifting. Rin, you're able to support and encourage anyone. Minato-sensei… Well, you're a teacher and a leader, that's all there is to it. You even became Hokage. How am I, the one who disappointed you the most, supposed to teach like you…?" Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'll do my best. Watch over me, alright? I'll see you all later."

X00000X

The Takeshi clone chuckled to himself as he wandered down the streets towards Ino's home. He'd have to pull this off perfectly. After all, his boss needed to lighten up. Revenge was going to ruin him. If he got a girlfriend, everything would end up alright, the clone was sure. _Today is the fourth of October_, he thought to himself, _The Kyuubi Festival is in six days. I bet she'd like to go to that with him. Besides, maybe she'll wear a yukata. That'll get boss's attention for sure!_ The clone laughed to himself, watching his surroundings as he walked. As he passed Ichiraku's Ramen, he spotted Hinata and Naruto together, eating. Ever since Ino had suggested that Hinata try and be more upfront about her feelings, Hinata and Naruto had been very close. That wasn't to say that they were dating, but they were close friends like Sakura and Ino.

It was a few minutes more that he reached the Yamanaka Flower Shop. He could see the place was closing up for the night, and ran towards it. "Oi! Inoichi-san!" he waved to the man closing the doors. The blonde man paused, looking to the boy who called his name. He smiled, but the clone could see the man's worried look. He stopped a few feet from the man. "Hey, I was wondering if Ino-chan was around?"

"Ah, she just left," Inoichi responded, crossing his arms. "I take it you wish to spend your last free night with her?" He gave the boy an unapproving look. "Fine. She headed home. But I expect her home by midnight, do you understand me?"

"Yes sir!" the clone nodded eagerly, running off to the Yamanaka Clan compound. It wasn't that far away, really. Only a minute or two's run from the shop. It wasn't long until the clone saw his target ahead of him, about midway between the shop and the compound. "Oi! Ino-chan!" he called out. Said girl stopped to turn and face whoever was calling out to her. The clone smiled and waved, earning one in response.

"Hey, Shi-kun," she greeted as soon as he reached her. "What's up?" The clone took a moment to catch his breath. The plan was to confidently ask Ino out on a date, but now that he was here, he was feeling a bit nervous.

"Ano…" the Takeshi clone tried to gather up his courage. "Are you doing anything during the Kyuubi Festival?" Ino seemed to pause, thinking for a moment. Her daddy had suggested that she go with Shikamaru and Choji, just to improve the Ino-Shika-Cho teamwork between them, but she really didn't want to go with them. So, she shook her head 'no'. "Great! I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me than?" Ino's face flushed as she thought over what he'd just said. He couldn't be asking her on a date, right?

_Don't overthink it, Yamanaka! _Ino yelled at herself, _He just wants to know if you can stay with him. Nothing more._ "Sure!" she smiled, "We can get Sakura-chan, Shino-san, and all of the others too!" The clone laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. It had been a habit he'd picked up from Naruto during their younger years.

"Eh… Ano… You don't usually bring other people on a date, do you?" he asked. Ino froze, feeling her face grow so red that Hinata would have been proud. Yamanaka Ino was, for the first time in her life, embarrassed.

"Ah…" she tried to speak, "I, uh… Y-You want me to go on a date with y-you…?" She tried to pass it off as her hearing things. "Ahaha…! I must be really tired."

"Eh? But I really did ask you on a date," Takeshi's clone confirmed. Ino felt her temperature rising. "So, Ino-chan? Will you go out with me?" Ino decided to answer before she fainted with excitement.

"Y-Y-Yes! I'll go out with you, Shi-kun!" she squealed. Both of them instantly froze, feeling a massive amount of killing intent behind Takeshi. "A-Ah! Daddy!"

"YOU'RE DEAD!"

**POW!**

X00000X

Takeshi was in awe of what he saw. The mountain wasn't what he was expecting. He was expecting something like lots of green trees and soft ground. Instead, he was greeted by rocky ground and numerous caves lit by torches. The mountain was a volcano, and it was warm and humid despite the lack of greenery. Tigers of all shapes and sizes trotted from cave to cave. From what he could see, they were in a ravine of sorts. The actual mountain towered above them all. Kimi gave Takeshi the grand tour, introducing him to many of the different tigers and some of their abilities. She was very kind, if not regal and stiff. Takeshi noted that she was a lot like how good storybook queens would be like. According to her, dinner was being prepared as they took the tour. It wasn't long, however, until they came upon a tiger sleeping in the middle of the road.

The sleeping big cat was about two feet in length, including the tail. It had lustrous, black fur and white stripes. The stripes marked all the way down its tail to a white tip. Takeshi wasn't quite sure what to do. Honestly, he'd never seen such a thing, before. Kimi, however, didn't even hesitate.

"Tirasu-chan!" Kimi roared, "Get up and greet our guest properly!" The black furred tiger yawned, stretching its forelegs before slowly standing. Its glazed eyes stared at Takeshi, sleep threatening to once again overtake the feline.

"But kaa-cha~aan…" it spoke with a drowsy voice of a teenage girl, "it's the perfect weather for a nap. Besides, he doesn't look all that important…" Takeshi felt a bead of sweat drop down his neck at that statement. "Ano… who is he, anyway?"

"Show some respect, Tirasu-chan," Kimi's voice resounded with authority, forcing the sleepy tiger to do her best to come to attention. "This is Muto Takeshi-san, our newest summoner."

"EHHH!?" the black feline stumbled back, as if she were being threatened with a dangerous weapon. "Ah! G-Gomen Muto-san!" Tirasu bowed on her forelegs. Takeshi waved it off and shrugged.

"It's alright," he replied, "I didn't know I was supposed to be respected so much, anyways." He looked up at Kimi. "Ah, Kimi-sama. Should we keep going?" She shook her head.

"The preparations should be complete," the Empress of Tigers announced, "The banquet hall is at the end of the ravine. Tirasu-chan, please lead him. I must attend to other things." Tirasu bowed as Kimi left to the way they'd come from. The young tigress' demeanor completely changed.

"Ugh…" Tirasu growled, glaring at her mother. "Follow me…" The small tiger trotted further along the ravine path, not even making sure that Takeshi was following. "Stupid humans and their stupid VIP status… Interrupting my naps…" Takeshi tried to ignore the big cat's grumblings.

"So…" Takeshi tried to make smalltalk, "why exactly where you laying on the road?"

"Because it was warm, duh," Tirasu answered with an attitude. "Moron." They continued in silence before Tirasu spoke again. "Why are you so calm?"

"Eh?"

Tirasu gave the boy a curious glance, "You are the last Muto. That means Yuki-san, your mother, is dead. How can you be calm about being alone?" Takeshi felt himself getting angry, but forced it away.

"I'm not alone," he claimed. "I have my friends. They-"

"Will either leave you or die," Tirasu finished, smirking. "Face it, kid. Your friends are probably all shinobi. They're gonna die one way or another. No matter what you say, you'll always be alone." Takeshi felt his temper flare. He wasn't sure where all of his anger had gone in the last twenty-four hours, but it sure as hell was coming back.

"Shut up, kitten!" he lashed out, "You don't know anything about me! Don't speak to me like you do!" Tirasu rolled her eyes.

"Oh please," she purred, amused at the boy's anger. "It's obvious that the only reason you're here is because you went looking for power. You want revenge on someone, don't you? Honestly, do you think a little summoning contract will let you be more powerful? No!" She stopped, halting their progress towards the area that dinner was being set up. "The only way to get stronger is to train your own power! No one else can help you! The only way you can get revenge is to cut off your ties to others before they drag you down!"

"SHUT UP!" Takeshi roared, "_**Hozaku**_!" Takeshi's chakra sphere instantly formed as he lunged at the little big cat. With speed that he couldn't even begin to follow, Tirasu disappeared. "_**Byakugan**_!" He activated his right eye just in time to see the feline ready to pounce him from behind. "No chance!" He tried to turn and strike while she was in midair, but he wasn't quick enough. Tirasu knocked him to the ground, his head caught between her jaws. Somehow, she'd grown from two feet long to eight feet. He felt chills run down his back.

"Pathetic," the tiger growled, releasing him. "And I'm considered weak among the clan. You're friends make you weak, Takeshi-baka. You'll never become powerful." Takeshi, slowly got up, cursing under his breath. "Admit it." The boy hesitated, before crossing his arms as he stood.

"I am… weak," he growled silently. "The hell do you care, lazy-ass tiger?" He could spot an amused look on Tirasu's face.

"I think you can be strong, with a little help," she suggested, her voice betraying her amusement. "At dinner, here's what you tell Kimi-teme…"

X00000X

Kimi watched her daughter carefully as they ate. All of those in the Tiger Clan were present, with Muto Takeshi at her right in seating. The boy's face was priceless when he discovered that they were able to take on a human-esque form at will. Even the stoic Empress of Tigers found his reaction humorous. However, he was not what worried her. Her daughter had a very nasty rebellious streak. One that was hopefully still hidden from the boy. If he were to learn of it, then any idea of a contract could be threatened. Tirasu was not known to listen to any of her summoners. Rather, she'd either sleep and become an extra burden, or tear into absolutely everything with viciousness that rivalled Kurama's. It didn't help that the young tiger princess would glance at Takeshi every so often as if expecting something. Finally, Takeshi spoke.

"Kimi-sama," he looked at the regal tiger-woman. She almost looked like a Muto. She had luxurious white hair and dark, olive skin. Her eyes were green, and slitted like a feline's. Her face was soft and smooth, yet somehow emanated a regal aura. Her posture was both stiff and loose, that of a queen. She was adorned in a black kimono with golden, stripped print that just barely stopped above the floor. Not only that, but she wore a golden crown that suggested an ancient and elegant power, complete with rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. "I wish to discuss a certain clause within the summoning contract."

"Mmm, and what clause would this be, Muto-san?" she questioned. Her heart filled with both hope and dread. She knew exactly which clause. It had been used only twice in the history of the Tiger Clan. Once, it had brought great fortune upon them, strengthening their hold in the summoning world exponentially. The second time, however, almost wiped out the entirety of the clan. It was a power scale that could lean in either direction.

"I'd like to induce the 'Familiar Clause'," he confirmed. Kimi's heart dropped. He couldn't possibly know of that. Not with his sudden knowledge of summoning animals. The only one who could have told him was… Kimi adjusted her gaze upon Tirasu, her troublesome daughter.

Far away in Konohagakure, the Nara Clan Compound became overcome with dread that a troublesome woman may have just made fun of them.

"May I ask why you wish to impose upon this act, Muto-san?" Kimi asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking. Her daughter, whose green eyes were the only thing that she shared with her mother, seemed to smirk. Unlike her mother, Tirasu had pale, snow white skin and night black hair that was messy and unkept.

"I understand that bringing up this clause," Takeshi spoke slowly, "may give you more political power within the summoning world. It would be like free advertisement, correct?" Kimi pondered those words. Yes, it would be advertisement for the Tiger Clan. But whether it was good or bad depended on the summoner and the familiar. Unfortunately, once a summoner decided to instate the clause, it couldn't be denied. Though summons were considered partners, it was the one bringing them to the human world that ultimately made the final decision. Even Manda knew that his summoner ultimately could decide to disown him.

That was another advantage of a familiar. You couldn't sign over to another contract if you requested one. If Takeshi went through with this, he'd never be able to get rid of his connection to the Tiger Clan.

"Is this truly what you wish?" Kimi asked, secretly hoping he'd turn the offer down. There was too much at stake. Unfortunately, Takeshi nodded. "I see… I'll assign-"

"No need," Takeshi spoke words that filled Kimi with horror. He wouldn't… She was too unruly… "I request that Tirasu-san be my familiar." All sounds at the table stopped. Tirasu had a proud grin on her face. One that said 'Challenge me. I dare you'. One that made Kimi regret leaving him to her daughter. Takeshi leaned over to Kimi and whispered into her ear, "I know you can't refuse. Let's continue with dinner, and Tirasu-san and I will leave." Kimi nodded slowly. Never before had she felt so weak. A boy hell bent on revenge paired up with a girl determined to cause as much chaos as she could. She prayed silently, begging forgiveness from the human world for her actions. She glanced at Takeshi as she felt him jump. His face begot his irritation.

"Is something wrong, Muto-san?" she inquired, a bit curious. He sighed and shook his head.

"One of my _**Kage Bunshin **_just got… forcibly dispersed," he mumbled. "It did something extremely reckless before it did, though." Kimi wasn't sure whether to feel happy or upset. She only hoped that this 'reckless' action would keep Takeshi out of trouble.

X00000X

Anko waited patiently for the last of her genin to arrive. Of course, patiently meant that she was twirling a kunai around her right index finger and glaring in the general direction of the Muto Clan Compound. Ino stared in the same direction, but with a worried look plastered on her face. She was hoping to question her best friend about how he'd figured out to make a _**Kage Bunshin**_. Mikoto wasn't really focused on anything. Instead, she was looking randomly at their surroundings. She'd gotten there a few minutes early, and had struck up a conversation with Izamo and Kotetsu. She'd long since given up, as the two gatekeepers could hardly keep up a conversation with her. The wait finally ended as a white haired boy came into view.

"You're late!" Anko growled.

Across the village, tending a garden, a certain pink haired kunoichi had the oddest feeling that someone was copying her. She giggled and turned her attention to Sasuke as her other teammate proceeded to wrestle with an unruly weed.

"Sorry, stayed up too late," Takeshi yawned, stretching a bit. He hid a smirk, feeling his hidden companion crawl up the back of his shirt. _Sorry, but this is going to be a normal thing_, he told the small tiger. She'd explained last night the basics of a familiar, one of which was mental communication. _I'm part of a team. No matter how hard I try, I'll have to participate._ He heard a few snickers from his partner, but she otherwise stayed silent. In an instant, he felt a sting on his cheek as a familiar kunai pierced him. Two arms wrapped around him, forcing the tiger to seek refuge at the front of his shirt.

"Not a good excuse, brat," Anko growled from behind him. "Better get your ass in gear before I take it for myself." The woman paused. "Er… Takeshi-san… When did you grow boobs?" The Muto felt his face flush. Tirasu had, in fact, moved onto his chest in a way that made it look like he'd grown breasts. The woman grasping him moved her hand and gave one of the 'boobs' a squeeze. To her surprise, the foreign appendage growled at her, and quickly moved up his body to reveal a small, feline head. It had black fur and its teeth were bared in an act of aggression.

"Oi, Tirasu-chan," Takeshi frowned. "Down, girl. No attacking." _Not yet, anyway_, he added silently. Giggling could be heard on the other end.

_Or what?_ The tiger asked inquisitively. _You know you can't beat me._

"Oh my god!" Ino squealed, "KAWAII!" Faster than lighting, Ino rushed over and plucked the young tiger princess from Takeshi's shirt, nuzzling her face against its soft fur.

_KILL!_ Tirasu screamed out, _MURDER! OBLITERATE! FUCK OFF!_ Takeshi couldn't help laughing out loud. To see the normally troublesome, sarcastic tiger reduced to embarrassed rage was simply too much. _STOP FUCKING LAUGHING AND HELP ME!_

_Hell no!_ Takeshi managed as he laughed. _This is just too good!_

"Alright, brats," Anko announced as her laughter died down, "If you've tortured Takeshi-san's cat enough, we have a mission to do."

_Did that bitch just call me a _cat_!? _ Tirasu screamed, outraged.

X00000X

A/N:

Hell yeah. I had fun with this chapter. I decided that Takeshi was a little bit too calm. This is kinda like the Sith/Sith Lord thing going on. While Takeshi isn't quite yet giving in to his hatred, he's definitely taking up Tirasu's offer of power. Will he stay strong with Ino at his side, or will he give in to Tirasu's temptations? Ehehe, this is gonna be great!


	9. Chapter 8: Memories

KaiSenpai doesn't own Naruto because it's just too troublesome.

X00000X

Memories

X00000X

Kakashi had a smile on his face as he walked up to the memorial stone. It had been about a week since he'd last visited and told the story about his genin team passing his exam. Of course, he still wasn't sure how they'd manage to shape up, but he'd caught bits and pieces of the story. The three kids were a lot closer then they let on. Of course, they were still just that, kids. They laughed. They cried. They fought. They made up. They had very different childhoods, but ultimately worked together well. Sakura made up the brains of the group. She wasn't really physically strong, but Naruto had convinced her to take up training a bit more seriously. Nonetheless, she came up with most of the plans and did most of the important talking. She was, however, a clueless little genin. Sadly, that was one thing that wouldn't change soon. Sasuke provided most of the firepower and took up the brunt of the fighting during training. During the D-rank missions, though, he was mostly good for manual labor. His attitude was mediocre at best. Some days he was compliant. Others, he did whatever the 'Last Uchiha' felt like. Naruto was… well, Naruto. He usually wore Kakashi down during training so the others could swoop in and clean everything up. He did the most work with the missions, and abused _**Kage Bunshin**_ like nobody's business. All in all, Kakashi had a pretty stable team. A far cry from what he'd expected.

"Oi, sensei, Obito, Rin," he greeted the stone as he approached. "It's been a while. Sorry I couldn't get here sooner, but my little team has been running me ragged." Kakashi chuckled under his mask. "Ah… They're doing surprisingly well. We've already gotten eleven D-ranks under our belt. Despite what the reports say, Naruto-san and Sasuke-san work pretty well together. Sakura backs them up pretty well. I think they might have been friends before they were teamed up." Kakashi rested his palm on the smooth stone. "Ah, turns out Asuma-san's team passed, too. They were originally supposed to be the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho, but somehow the Yamanaka didn't get placed in their group. Anyway, they're doing a lot of conjoined missions, so it shouldn't be a problem. Oh, and Kurenai-san got a team, too. They're not all that much, but they're useful." Kakashi paused a moment. "Anko-san has a team as well. She has Ino-san, the Yamanaka. She also has Muto Takeshi. His mother died recently, so he's the last in his clan." Kakashi sighed. "From what I've seen, he's a lot like Sasuke-san. Anko is doing what she can to teach him out of wanting revenge." Kakashi sighed and let a few silent minutes pass.

"Oh, Muto-san found a stray tiger some time ago," Kakashi remembered. "All of the girls were thrilled, but I could tell the tiger wasn't happy. Although it's been a lot of help with the Tora missions. That demonic cat is so afraid of the little tiger, she won't even leave the Daimyo's wife." Kakashi laughed softly, watching the sun rise on the horizon. "It's time for me to go. I'll see you guys soon. Ja ne."

X00000X

_ "White Tiger, this is Blonde Beauty. I have eyes on the target."_

_ "Understood. White Tiger to Blue Bug, do you copy?"_

_ "This is 03- I mean Blue Bug to White Tiger, I gotcha. Moving into position."_

_ "White Tiger to Horny Snake, are you in position?" No answer. "Horny Snake, do you copy?" Still no answer. "Hor- WHAT THE FUCK!?"_

_ "I'll kill you!"_

_ "White Tiger, this is Blonde Beauty, what's going on!?"_

_ "Hello Blond Beauty, this is 'Horny Snake'. White Tiger has met deadly resistance due to being an ass and choosing shitty codenames. Please leave a message after the 'beep'."_

X00000X

_ Takeshi frowned at the tiger sleeping in the lot behind his house. Ever since the first mission he'd brought her along, she'd decided to laze about instead. At night they'd train, but during the day… While he did heavy work, that stupid tiger would sleep. But he always got his revenge. Today, he'd counseled Naruto on what to do. The answer was, of course, obvious. Takeshi held up a bucket of orange paint, a smirk on his face. Sometimes his familiar would take on a human form, and sometimes a tiger form. Today, she was a human. Perfect. Wiping some sweat off of his brow, he took a small, thin paintbrush and knelt by the curled up girl. With careful precision and ease, the work took about a half hour to finish. Perfect._

_ He'd painted whiskers onto the girl, alongside some very offensive and vulgar words. Of course he could have also drawn weird shapes, but this one was personal. Since Tirasu had insulted Ino, he felt the girl ought to have a little bit of redemption. Even if she wouldn't witness either event._

X00000X

Ino waited patiently for her date to arrive. Her father, though extremely pissed, was letting her go on the grounds that they be home before midnight. Of course the festival ended at that time, but it didn't matter. She was going on a date with Shi-kun, something she'd wanted for years. It was just past three in the afternoon, about when the festival started. Ino had taken measures. Oh, very extreme measures along with her mother. They'd spent as much time as they could searching for the perfect yukata. Nothing merely decent would do. Finally, after much last-minute searching Ino found a crystal, crisp faded blue yukata with a dark purple flower print that looked absolutely wonderful on her. The sleeves reached down to her wrists, and the bottom half reached to her ankles. A bright, blue ribbon wrapped around her waist, tied in a bow at her back. Nothing fancy. Nothing revealing. Her mother thought she looked beautiful. She could only hope that Takeshi thought the same. After all, plain but lovely was his thing.

After a few minutes, her date arrived. His long, snowy hair was tied up in a ponytail. Both his hair and fair skin were moist, as if he'd just gotten out of a shower. He wore a deep, black kimono with a cloud print. The passing thought that Shikamaru would like the kimono passed through Ino's mind. A smile breached her features as the man before her spoke.

"Well, it's starting to get crowded," Takeshi observed, offering the blonde his hand. "We should probably get going. I hate to steal from Shikamaru-san, but if we don't go soon than it'll become troublesome."

X00000X

A/N:

Sorry to cut it short, but I wanted to get this out before I really start. NEXT TIME! TAKESHI AND INO'S DATE!


	10. Author's Note

Author's Note:

Naru/Hina Issue

Solution: I'm getting to it. Honestly. All good things to those who wait. And please refrain from swearing.


End file.
